Vidalia Onion Pie

Back when I was a young bride-to-be my dear mommy bought me subscriptions to Cooking with Paula Deen and Taste of the South magazines.  This was before my cookbook collection grew to over 100, when the majority of my magazine subscriptions were fashion magazines such as Glamour & Allure...not home or cooking things.  But I sure adored those two cooking magazines.  I would pull them out and read every single page...marking the recipes that I would love to try when I had a kitchen of my own and was no longer living in a college dorm!  I will still "Miss Hospitality" back then, I just did slice and bake cookies and brownies from a mix ;) 

During those first few issues in the spring and summer of 2006, I kept seeing a recipe--an advertisement, not actually a Paula recipe--for a vidalia onion tart.  I had just started to appreciate onions and really wanted to try making it eventually.

Well, a few weeks ago I pulled out one of my old magazines (of course I still have every one...and bought all the back issues too...), found the recipe and tried it.

Honestly, I wasn't thrilled.  I love the flavor of the sweet onions, but the recipe only called for one egg and one egg yolk and it wasn't enough to really bind the diced onions together.  It probably didn't help that shortly after making it I got a stomach virus, and sadly, half of the tart ended up in the trash :(.  If I make this again, I would definitely increase the amount of eggs to give it more of a quiche consistency, and I think it would be wonderful in tartlettes at a baby or bridal shower or tea or something lovely like that.

Vidalia Onion Tart
Celina Tio f/m the American Resturant, as advertised in Cooking with Paula Deen May/June 2006
 *makes 1 12" tart, 12 servings


 5 cups diced Vidalia onions (small dice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1 tart shell, partially baked (I was lazy and just used a frozen pie shell)

Cook the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until tender.  Keep covered to seal in flavor and prevent onions from browning.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the heavey cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Adjust seasoning, if necessary.  Allow to cool slightly.  Whisk the egg and egg yolk together and incorporate into the onion mixture.  Finish with teh chopped parsley and chives.  Pour mixture into the partially baked tart shell and bake at 325 degress for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Since I used a smaller diameter pie shell it took at least 45 minutes for mine to bake)