Onion and Gruyere Tart

My stall at Autumn Graze was full of tarts... I don't mean my sister and the Blonde... more onion, gruyere, chorizo, spinach, apple and lemon ones... I sold every single slice thankfully and they were pretty delicious, especially the lemon, and the onion and gruyere, oh and the chorizo and red pepper... I even had emails from people saying how much they had loved them, and about them bringing back childhood memories... this is high praise indeed so I thought I would share the recipe...

The savoury ones are all based on an Elizabeth David recipe for Tarte a l'Oignon. It is a pretty simple recipe, delicious with just onion and gruyere, but you can add anything really. Some left over cooked ham went into this one, or try some fried up bacon, wilted buttery spinach, sliced chorizo, chopped herbs or roasted red peppers...

Grease a tart tin and roll out your shortcrust pastry to about a centimetre thick, you can make it yourself or buy it, I bought it this time I admit... But it is pretty easy to make. Then line the tin with the pastry, pressing it into the corners with your knuckles and trimming it to a neat edge around the top, it does shrink a little so leave a slight overhang.

Next thinly slice 4 or 5 onions and melt a tablespoon of butter in a large pan, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook them slowly on a low heat with a lid on for half an hour. Stir them every now and them, they will become very soft and translucent and buttery... and smell amazing... When they are ready stir in 2 beaten eggs, 100g of grated gruyere and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Finally fill your pastry lined tart tin with the onion mixture and bake in the oven at 170°C for half an hour, until it is golden and beautiful! It is delicious hot or cold, better than any quiche type thing I've ever bought in a shop and is pretty simple, especially if you buy the pastry... It is quite simply a treat... A delicious cheesy, buttery onion treat...