Caramelized Onion, Thyme, Proscuitto And Goat Cheese Tart
- 1 box puff pastry (2 square sheets)
- 5 pounds sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 10-20 sprigs thyme
- 4-6 ounces sliced (thick or thin) proscuitto
- 6-12 ounces goat cheese
- black pepper
- preheat oven to 350, start defrosting the puff pastry, soften goat cheese
- peel all the onions
- cut each onion in half pole-to-pole (not equatorially) - ie, pick an end and cut through to the other end, not through the middle
- cut the non-root end off each onion
- thinly slice the onions - do your best (uniformity isn't always ideal - a slight variety in size in this case can improve the dish. just don't make the slices too big keep under 1/4 inch)....tip - use your sharpest knife & wear contact lenses to avoid tearing up
- melt the butter in a tall pot over medium heat
- add all the sliced onions (it should mostly fill the pot though you should be able to reach down to the bottom with a wooden spoon to stir)
- add salt and sugar
- cook on medium while stirring every few minutes (every time bottom onions start to brown NOT burn) until volume has reduced by at least 50%.
- reduce heat to low and keep an eye on the onions for the next 2-3 hours, stirring every 5-10 minutes - you're looking for onion jam basically. The smaller cuts will have mostly disintegrated into a delicious onion goo and the larger bits will be well browned w/ a bit of tooth still left in them.
- while the onions cook, dice the proscuitto and strip the leaves from the thyme (reserve both) make sure you continually scrape up the good bits at the bottom. ps - don't flippin burn the onions!!!
- vigorously poke the puff pastry with a fork & bake as directed on box
- when onions are completely caramelized (deep, dark brown and approximately 2-3 cups worth), add thyme, proscuitto and salt & pepper to taste
- place one sheet of puff pastry on cutting board, spoon onion mixture and spread to within 1" of the edge
- evenly apply strips of goat cheese on top of the onions cut a slit in the goat cheese wrapper, grab ahold of the whole tube & squeeze it through your clenched fingers - takes some getting used to but totally worth it.... oddly satisfying too
- place second sheet of puff pastry on top and apply pressure to ooze onions to nearly the edge
- slice and serve serrated knife - sprinkle some excess thyme on top for garnish. nicely paired with simple greens & light vinaigrette as a small meal or in little pieces as a side dish warning - the latter can get a bit messy if you try to cut the puff pastry too small - you can use something else instead of puff pastry... if you dare
pastry, sweet onions, butter, salt, sugar, thyme, goat cheese, black pepper
Taken from food52.com/recipes/7563-caramelized-onion-thyme-proscuitto-and-goat-cheese-tart (may not work)