Let's all cry: Onion Tart

Let me share a secret here: I'm a big cryer. Whether it is because I'm sad, happy, upset, moved, I can't help it, I just cry. Last week only, I cried in front of a cooking contest on TV, a home improvement show, an episod of "Battlestar Galactica"... Anything can get me going, it's embarrasing really. I must have seen the last episod of "Friends" about 10 times, and I still cry, or as Phoebe would say "here comes the water works"!

Beside all the positiv aspects on your health, for your sight, your blood pressure... etc. I believe there is something cathartic about it crying. Letting your emotions flow, releasing tensions and just being in touch with your feelings, that's why we even sing a lot about it. We are the only mammals who cry, so I guess it's also what makes us human.

Now, quite often, I cry in my kitchen, but for a different reason: I love onions! While cutting them you releases a gas, called propanethiol S-oxide, that mixed with certain enzime of the onion creates a sulfur gas that irritates your eyes, hence the crying. Or in other words: it's not my fault this time!
To me, this recipe is worth all the crying. To my knowledge, this a traditionnal swiss recipe, but I'm sure there are many versions around the world, here's mine.

Onion Tart

For an 18cm Pie Dish

For the dough (based on a Betty Bossi recipe)
125gr of Flour
50gr of Butter
5cl of Water
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
A pinch of Salt

For the filling
400gr of Onion
100gr of Bacon
10cl of White Wine
80 of Parmesan
2 Eggs
Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Thym
Salt, Pepper

Make the dough first. In a bowl, weight the flour, and add the butter cut into cubes and the pinch of salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour, like you would for a crumble. When you have something ressembling sand, pour in the water and vinegar, and work until you have smooth dough. Place in the fridge while you work on the filling.

Peel and cut the onions into half moons. In a big pan, heat up some olive oil and then add the onions, aswell as a pinch of salt and the thym. Cook for about 20 minutes, stir with a wooden spoon quite often, you want the onions to brown a little.

Cut the bacon to small cubes or thin slices, grate the parmesan and set both aside. When the onion has a nice pale brown color, pour the white wine in the pan and stir to scrape the brown bits of the bottom of the pan. Let the wine evapoarte and add the bacon, cook for a couple of minutes and take off the heat to cool a little.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

When the onion/bacon mixture has cooled a little in a bowl, add the parmesan, the 2 eggs and pepper to taste. Roll out your dough and place it in your pie dish, pour in the filling and place in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the top has a nice golden brown color. Serve with a green salad.