I still can’t get over the fact that since the caucuses have ended, my weekends seem freer. Sure, I’m doing my damnedest to fill them up still, but it’s nothing compared to the anxiety of door-knocking, waiting for door knocks, ignoring the multiple calls and texts a day, and all the ways that I worried about the results. (Going to resist a joke about being careful what I wish for here, but needless to say, it’s not like the weeks since have been any smoother for this recovering political reporter.)
So, with an entire extra day of my weekend to do nothing but clean, go to the library, and talk to my mom, I decided it was a good use of my time to once again try to caramelize onions. It has never once turned out the way it looks on TV and in magazines, but it has continued to taste pretty good. This time was no exception.
Also, thanks to a picture-filled guide from Food & Wine, I had more guidance, and a good use for my finished product in a quiche.
That’s right. This is a two-fer.
However, I quickly disposed of the quiche recipe provided and substituted my own version that mirrored something my sweetie had made before. I learned the joys of adding walnuts to a pie crust, of the potentially overwhelming flavor of moldy cheese, and of the fact that a braiser is an amazing pie dish (As a long-time pie lady, I will remember that last one!).
Even if the onions overcooked, didn’t get as moist, and blackened the bottom of my pan, it really only sped up the process of cooking the onions (and reminding me again to adapt!), and they tasted fine. My only regret on the onions is halving the recipe that means we ended up with just enough left over after the cup that went into the quiche to add to the top of two veggie burgers.
For the quiche, I skipped the 1 c. of diced ham, and replaced it with walnuts and Gorgonzola, about a cup-ish of each. However, the 4 oz. of Gorgonzola was a tiny bit overwhelming for me, even as my sweetie adored its flavor. In addition, I added some parsley and some pepper, and tested adding about a half cup of ground walnuts into the pie crust for extra walnut flavor.
The crust was an extra joy, and I have plans for doing that again already. Everything else was also a joy, though YMMV with the Gorgonzola.
It actually couldn’t have been a better way to celebrate the day off than to spend it in the kitchen making something this special.
Here’s what I did:
Ingredients
For the caramelized onions
- 2 lb. yellow onions, halved and sliced vertically
- 2 t. vegetable oil
- 2 t. salt
- ~¼ to ½ c. water
For the quiche
- 1 pie crust (my typical is 1 ¼ c. flour, 8 T. butter, 1 t. salt, ice water to form; with this I used ¾ c. flour and added ½ c. ground walnuts… but any crust will due)
- 1 c. caramelized onions
- 6 eggs
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 2 to 4 oz. Gorgonzola (use according to your love of Gorgonzola; 4 oz. was a bit much for me)
- 1 c. chopped walnuts
- 2 T. chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
For the caramelized onions
Heat the oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet or braiser on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add half the onions, turning to coat them in oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, and then add the remaining onions by the handful, using tongs to continue to coat the onions. The pan will be kind of full, but the onions will reduce, and continue to reduce. Once the onions are added, continue to cook for about 3 more minutes, adding salt to draw more moisture out. Reduce heat to medium, cover the skillet (braiser), and cook about 10 more minutes, when hopefully a pool of liquid will have collected (it didn’t for me). Remove lid, and continue to cook the onions, folding them over each other and scraping the bottom of the pan as necessary. Cook until liquid has evaporated, about 35 minutes. (If like me, there’s not much liquid, just keep stirring and cooking and gauge by color, not by time.) Scrape the bottom of the pan and shape the onions into a patty; add water as/if they stick to the pan, until the browned bits are loosened as much as possible. Keep cooking, stirring often, until the onions look the color of bourbon (that’s from the recipe but good advice!), up to another 35 to 45 minutes, as needed. Remove from heat and use/serve as desired.
For the quiche
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the pie dough to fit in a 9- to 10-inch braiser, or skillet. Lay the dough into the braiser/skillet, pressing around the edges, and shaping the ends as desired. Poke with a fork, layer with pie weights or aluminum foil and dried beans. Bake for about 15 minutes, until parboiled.
Meanwhile, in a large boil, mix together the eggs, cream, onions, gorgonzola, walnuts, parsley, and salt and pepper.
When the crust is ready, remove pie weights, and pour in the egg mixture.
Carefully place braiser/skillet back in the oven, and bake for about 35 minutes until the eggs have set and the top is browned, and enjoy!