Friday, December 30, 2005
Caramelized Onion Tartlets
Although the onions take a bit of time to caramelize for these tarts, they do not need to be constantly monitored, so this is a great, non-labor-intensive recipe for cocktail parties, when you might be making several other hors d'oeuvres. The sweet and buttery onions pair lushly with the creme fraiche, creating the perfect complement to a dry martini. The recipe comes from the October 2004 issue of Gourmet and makes 12 tartlets.
Ingredients:
2 c. very thinnly sliced sweet onion
1-1/2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. water
3/8 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
3 T. creme fraiche, at room temperature
1-1/2 t. finely chopped fresh chives
Step-by-step:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook onion, butter, water, salt, and pepper, covered, in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is deep golden brown and very tender, about 25 minutes.
3. While onion cooks, roll out dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 12 rounds with a 2-1/4-inch round cookie cutter and lightly press each into a cup of a mini-muffin tin. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove tartlet shells from muffin pan.
4. Stir together creme fraiche and chives and divide among shells, then top with caramelized onions.
Labels: appetizers
