Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Quiche)

An onion’s preparation is often combined with tears. When the onionskin is wounded, the fruit – originating from Egypt – produces aggressive steams in order to protect itself against intruders. But due to its hearty taste the onion is still one of the most popular ingredients. The spicy onion quiche from the Viennese cuisine - for example - is a real culinary delight that makes up for each tear shed. Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

300 g (3 cups) flour
150 g (2/3 cup) butter
80 g curd cheese (3/8 cup) (20% fat)
2 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
flour (for the work surface)
500 g (1 lb) white onion
150 g (0,35 lb) lean bacon (finely cut)
1 bunch spring onions
1/2 leek
8 tbsps olive oil

filling:

5 eggs
250 ml (1 cup) cream
80 g (3/8 cup) Gouda cheese (or other mild cheese)
salt
ground pepper
nutmeg
butter (for greasing)

Preparation:

For the pastry, mix flour, butter, cottage cheese, egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Quickly knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours. Halve the onions, and slice. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sauté the onions (without the spring onions), stirring them quickly until they are transparent. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400F). Grease the cake form with butter. On top of a floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin about 3mm thick and place in the tray so that about 2 cm (1 in.) of it hangs over the edge. Distribute the onions equally over the dough.

For the filling, whisk the eggs and the cream. Cut the leek and spring onions (only the white part) into rings and mix into the egg mixture with the bacon and cheese. Pour over the pastry. To form an attractive crust, use thumb and forefinger to shape the edge of the pastry around the edges of the tart form. Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy with: White wine - strong