(Easy) Onion Parsley Tart

The easy is an aside because the tart is so good regardless of its ease to make. I cooked this tart as an appetizer for the first time last night and it turned out quite well. The trick is getting the crust down, but once you do you can use it for anything (split it in two and you can have a pizza appetizer and an apple tart dessert, or you can use it to make crawfish pies!). The flavors all come together nicely and make it an irresistible, mouth-watering meal opener.

Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
7 tbs. unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tbs. olive oil
5-9 tbs. ice water

Cut the butter into small squares. In a medium size bowl, using your hands, mix the butter in with the flour until the butter is flattened into small pieces about the size of dimes. Add the olive oil and mix. Make a well in the middle and add the ice water. Mix until the dough forms a ball. You should use just enough water for the mixture to hold together (at high altitude I am using almost 9 tbs. of water). Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Topping
Olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
5 tbs. parsley
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

In a skillet put a couple of table spoons of olive oil and add the onions, salt and cayenne pepper, saute over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, add pepper and parsley and saute for one or two additional minutes.

Putting It Together
Creole Mustard (or Dijon Mustard)
Olive Oil
Crust
Topping
Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out the crust on a lightly floured surface. Fold in half and roll out again. Repeat two or three additional times (the more times you fold it and roll it out the flakier your crust will be, so adjust according to desired flakiness!). Put finished crust onto a flat, very lightly floured baking sheet. Put a dollop of mustard onto the center of the crust and drizzle olive oil over the mustard. Mix the oil and mustard with a brush and brush over the surface of the crust, covering the entire surface (add more mustard if necessary). Distribute the onion mixture evenly over the crust (there should be enough onion mixture to cover the entire crust without leaving much open crust; cut off excess crust if you have too much and use for something else (like that apple tart!)). Grate enough Parmigiano over the onion so that you can barely make out the onions.

Cook for thirty-five minutes or until the smell is too tempting to resist.

Wine Suggestion
Equally versatile with a light, fruity red such as a beaujolais or a more peppery Cotes-du-Rhone.

Enjoy!