ZWIEBELKUCHEN - ONION (OR LEEK) TART FROM ALSACE

Onion or Leek Tart - here the leek version

It's this time of the year again - the garden is full of red leaves, the cats stay more indoors, and the temperatures are finally falling.

Time for the perfect savory fall pastry: Zwiebelkuchen from Alsace, a wonderful companion for young (or old) wine, that we like serving to guests.

A Spanish onion (or two leeks).....

..... plus ham and cheese for the filling

It's fast and easy to make, with frozen puff pastry for the crust, a large Spanish sweet onion (or a couple of leeks) and any aromatic hard cheese you have at hand. Don't go skinny on the cream, you want a smooth and satiny filling.

ZWIEBELKUCHEN - ONION (OR LEEK) TART 
(6 servings)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 large Spanish onion, quartered and thinly sliced
or
2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
60 g cooked ham or speck, cubed
2 eggs, separated
100 g/1 1/2 cups grated Emmental, aged Gouda or Asiago cheese
125 ml/1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
black pepper, to taste (freshly ground)


Place frozen puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface and allow to thaw for about 30 minutes, until you can easily unfold it.

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Adjust rack to second lowest position.

Store-bought puff pastry makes an easy crust

Roll out puff pastry until it fits 11"/28 cm springform or tart pan. Place puff pastry in pan, taking care not to stretch it, then trim the edges.

Mix onions (or leek) with ham and cheese

In a large bowl, mix together sliced onions (or leeks), cubed ham, egg yolks and grated cheese. Add cream and mix to combine. Season to taste with pepper (adding salt is not necessary - ham and cheese provide enough salt).

Fold whipped egg whites into filling

Whisk egg whites until stiff. Fold them gently into onion mixture. Pour filling in springform pan and smooth surface with spatula.

Onion Tart - ready for the oven!

Bake onion tart for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until the crust is done, and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm.

For the unlikely case that you have leftovers: store them in the refrigerator and re-heat slices before serving.

My friend Andrea from Hamburg gave me this recipe.

Sunset over Hulls Cove, Mount Desert Island, Maine

Post updated 12/27/2015

Time for Onion Tarte - Zeit fuer Zwiebelkuchen

Fall is the time of the year when Alsatians and wine loving Germans think: "Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Tarte)! The mellow sweet onion pastry is the perfect companion to new wine.

If you travel in fall through the wine growing areas left and right of the Rhine, you will find inns, restaurants and many vinyards offering sparkling new wine (Federweisser), often served together with freshly baked Zwiebelkuchen.

But beware - Onion Tarte is an aider and abetter of that seemingly feathery light youngster, helping it go down so smoothly, that you are tempted to drink it like lemonade! When you wake up the next morning you realize why Federweisser is also called: "Sauser" (Buzzer) - there's something buzzing in your stomach and your head is spinning...

Herbst ist die Jahreszeit, in der Elsaesser und weinliebende Deutsche: "Zwiebelkuchen" denken. Das mild suessliche Zwiebelgebaeck ist der perfekte Begleiter fuer jungen Wein.

Wenn man im Herbst durch die Weinbaugebiete rechts und links des Rheins reist, findet man Gasthaeuser, Restaurants und viele Weingueter, die sprudelnden jungen Wein anbieten, der oft zusammen mit frischgebackenem Zwiebelkuchen serviert wird.

Aber Vorsicht - Zwiebelkuchen ist der Kumpan des scheinbar so federleichtem Juenglings, er hilft, ihn so glatt hinuntergleiten zu lassen, dass man in Versuchung geraet, ihn wie Limonade zu trinken! Wenn man dann am naechsten Morgen aufwacht, wird einem klar, warum Federweisser auch "Sauser" genannt wird - irgendetwas saust im Magen herum und der Kopf dreht sich...

The photo shows an equally tasty Onion Tarte variation: Leek Tarte. - Das Foto zeigt eine ebenso leckere Zwiebelkuchenvariation - Porreetorte.