Onion Custards Recipes

HAZELNUT CUSTARDS

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound the hazelnuts until finely ground.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium high heat (watch carefully that it does not boil over). Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Stir in the hazelnuts, bring back up to the boil and remove from the heat. Cool the mixture almost to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and the egg yolks together until evenly blended. Slowly pour the cream mixture in, stirring all the time, until absorbed. Add the Frangelico and then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup with a lip, pressing hard against the mesh to extract all the flavor from the nuts. Pour the custard mixture into twelve 2 ounce ramekins and arrange them in a large roasting pan. Pour a little boiling water in the base of the pan, to come about halfway up the sides of the little custard pots. Bake on the middle rack until the custards are set in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour. Serve 2 or 3 little custards per person and, using a vegetable peeler, shave a few small curls of chocolate over the top of each.

ONION CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Halve onions from top to bottom. Resting on the cut side slice thinly into half circles. Measure out 6 cups. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; when foam subsides add the onions. Cover and cook, over medium low heat, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often and adjusting heat so that onions brown slowly, until the onions are a dark golden brown and very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped thyme, salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Select 6 (5-ounce) custard cups; brush generously with softened butter. Arrange in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking gently until blended. Place a strainer over a large measuring cup with a pouring spout and strain the custard. Using a tongs distribute distribute the Sauteed onions evenly among the 6 custard cups (they should be about 1/4 filled). Add the custard, distributing evenly. Run a knife through the custards so that the custard will seep through the layer of onion.
• Place the baking pan in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan until it is 1-inch up sides of the cups. Bake until custards are lightly browned and set, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and using a spatula and protecting your hand with a pot-holder remove the custard cups from the water to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave or wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven.

VIDALIA ONION CUSTARD

Steps:

• Saute onions in the butter, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft& golden Let onions cool to room temp.
• Meanwhile whisk the eggs, milk& egg yolk together, add salt, nutmeg& pepper Stir in the cooked onions, mix well.
• Pour into an oven proof buttered dish (1 1/2 qt size).
• Bake at 325F for 40-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center Sprinkle with chives serve hot.

VIDALIA ONION CUSTARD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until very tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Set aside 2 tablespoons onion mixture; fold remaining mixture into batter. Fold in 1/2 cup cheese. , Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Top with remaining cheese and reserved onion mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Melt remaining butter; drizzle over the top. , Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into wedges; serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

ONION TART

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Scatter butter over flour, top with lid and pulse 12 pulses to cut butter into flour to a coarse meal consistency.
• Dump butter-flour mixture into a medium stainless bowl. Make a well in the center and pour ice-cold water into the well.
• Using a flexible plastic dough scraper instead of your warm hands, bring the dough together by folding and pressing. Be firm and brisk and get the dough past its shaggy stage into a neat disk, trying to avoid using your hands or too much kneading. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and peel them. Slice the halves with the ribs (root end to sprout end direction), not against, to create julienne slices rather than half moons.
• In a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the bacon fat and slowly sweat the onions until they are caramelized. Take all the minutes you need - 25 or so - to let them soften to translucent, then to let the water they release start to evaporate, then to allow the sugars they contain to start to brown in the pan, so that you end up with soft, sweet and evenly browned onions. This is achieved by a slow caramelization. Set onions aside to cool.
• Roll tart dough out to a 1/4-inch-thick round, and drape over a round 10-inch fluted false-bottom tart pan. Lay dough into the pan, gently pressing into the bottom, and roll the pin across the pan to cut off the excess dough. Use your fingers to press the edges into the flutes, accentuating the shape of the dough edge. Dock the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork, weight the pastry with beans or weight and blind-bake for 25 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the egg with the cream. Stir in the caramelized onions. Season with pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Stir well, and make sure the onions are all evenly coated with the custard.
• Remove tart shell from oven, and slip it onto a baking sheet. Remove weights, fill with the onion-custard mixture and distribute it evenly. Return tart to oven on the sheet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until custard has set, the tops of the onions start to achieve a deeper brown and the dough is dark golden brown at the edges.
• Remove from the ring, and allow to cool just a few minutes on the rack, so that the piping hot tart shell can kind of tighten up enough to be sliced with a sharp chef's knife. (In the first few minutes straight out of the oven, the dough is kind of soft from the heat, possibly giving you the false impression that you have a soggy tart. Let it sit on the rack just to shake off this initial soft stage and to recrisp and refirm, which it will.) Cut into wedges, and serve while hot.

SWEET ONION CUSTARD BREAD

Steps:

• In large frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
• Saute onions 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Set aside 2 tbsp of this mixture for the topping.
• In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Stir in milk, egg and 1/2 cup cheese.
• Add remaining onions.
• Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese, reserved 2 tbsp onion and poppy seeds over top of bread.
• Drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake at 400F (205C) for about 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool slightly, cut into wedges.

VIDALIA ONION CUSTARD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until very tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Set aside 2 tablespoons onion mixture; fold remaining mixture into batter. Fold in 1/2 cup cheese. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Top with remaining cheese and reserved onion mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Melt remaining butter; drizzle over the top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into wedges; serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

ONION YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, saute onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in butter until tender but not browned. Divide among eight 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place on a baking sheet., In a large bowl, combine flour and remaining salt. Whisk the eggs, water and milk; whisk into flour mixture just until blended. Pour 1/4 cup into each ramekin. , Bake 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

ONION CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Roll out into a 12-inch round: 10 ounces Pie Dough (page 174).
• Line a 9-inch tart or pie pan with the dough, folding the edges in to make double-thick sides. Press the sides in well and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. To keep the dough from shrinking while it bakes, line the shell with a piece of foil or parchment paper, then fill the tart with a layer of dried beans (or other pie weights). This is known as baking blind. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edge. Take the tart out of the oven; remove the foil and the weights. Return to the oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the pastry is an even light golden brown.
• Heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter.
• When melted add: 4 onions, peeled and sliced thin.
• Cook over medium heat until soft and golden, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season with: Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Remove from the pan and spread on a plate to cool. Mix together: 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper, A pinch of cayenne.
• When the onions have cooled, spread them in the baked tart shell, pour in the custard mixture, and bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is puffed and golden brown.
• Sauté the onions with a few sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, savory, or marjoram.
• Cut 4 slices bacon into small pieces and cook until just crisp. Drain and sprinkle over the bottom of the tart shell before adding the onions.
• Try another cheese instead of Gruyère.
• Add to the custard 2 cups sautéed, chopped greens in place of half of the onions.