Caramelized Onion Quiche

The calendar flips to March marking the arrival of spring but the temperatures are definitely still clinging to winter.  While winter farmers markets may not have the depth of the spring or summer harvests, there are still so many options….even if you stick with just one ingredient.  This Caramelized Onion Quiche features market onions simmered slowly and layered into a flaky pie crust, topped with cheese and then coated with an unctuous custard.   It is warming and soothing served warm from the oven but even the next day, the flavors coalesce into a deeply satisfying meal that somehow manages to be warming yet light.

Over the years and only occasionally, I’ve made my pie crust.  Without fail, it would always be a disappointment.  I love a soft flaky crust that easily yields to the touch, or even the mere suggestion of a fork. My creations would emerge tough and shrunken, difficult to cut through even with some vigorous involvement of a sharp knife.  Fed up, I decided to make it my mission to make a pie crust I can actually enjoy.  It’s funny that cooking and baking are perhaps the only arenas where I can easily brush off failure and pick up everything to start again.  Over and over, I read through recipes and articles to try to make my own successful version.  A recipe that I could memorize and master and reach for any time I wanted a crust.  Fortunately for you, I think I have a foolproof recipe that is easy to remember and forgiving to the less adept bakers, a club in which I consider myself a member.

I think the key to the crust is adding an egg and the key to remembering the ingredients is to keep it simple.  One cup flour, one stick butter, one egg and a 1/2 teaspoon salt is easy to remember and has worked for me every time.  I believe it is the egg that makes the difference.  I sometimes use just a yolk but I view that as an advancement that still needs some tweaking as it makes the dough more difficult to roll out.  However, the result is even flakier.  Using a whole egg makes the dough easier to roll and less likely to tear apart when placed in the pie dish.

Other hints I’ve learned:

-Flour your board well before rolling out and turn the pastry, not yourself, when rolling into the dough into a circle. (Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but it took me a while to figure this out.)  A 12-14-inch circle fits a 9-inch pie pan well.

-Drape your rolled out dough over your rolling pin to transfer to your pie plate.  Press the dough into the bottom of the pan first, then gently press into the sides.

-Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pie dish to remove excess crust for a neat crust.

-Keep all ingredients extra cold.  I often use frozen butter and sometimes put my cubed butter and flour mixture back into the freezer to sit for a few minutes.  Most importantly, I put the pie dish with the dough into the freezer for at least 10-15 minutes before filling.  I find this prevents any shrinkage.

Onions are the kitchen workhorses but in this dish they shine.  I often make a batch of caramelized onions to have extra for topping burgers, steaks or pizzas.

While I only use onions today, a quiche is really the best place to include leftover greens or mushrooms that have been sautéed.  The first greens, herbs, and ramps of spring will replace the onions for a completely different take.

Regardless of what you decide, this Caramelized Onion Quiche is worth mastering.  It is a lovely bridge between winter and spring but will serve us well throughout the year, regardless of what the weather decides or the farmers bring to market each week.  A quiche easily handles it all.