Alsatian Inspiration

Ever get the urge to bake?  Aside from the occasional batch of cookies, I rarely bake - let alone bake my dinner.  So, for whatever reason, today I wanted an onion tart.  And nobody does onion tarts like the Alsatians.

Semi-Healthy (hey Spinach is good for you) Onion Tart (with bacon and cheese)
(modified from Bon Appetit, 2002)

Crust
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 T chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 T+ ice water

Filling
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Pinch of sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1/4 t ground nutmeg
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup coarsely grated Fontina (or to be more trational - Gruyère) cheese

For crust:
Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is set and partially cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Cool crust while making filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Sauté bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion and pinch of sugar to drippings in skillet and sauté until onion is deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Whisk cream, egg, egg yolk, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in small bowl to blend. Spread onion over bottom of baked crust; sprinkle bacon over, then spinach leaves, then cheese. Pour cream mixture over.

Bake until tart is puffed and filling is set, about 15-20 minutes. Cool tart on rack 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Serve at room temperature.

And what could be better with this tart than an Alsatian Riesling, Gewurz, or Pinot Blanc.  Try one of Trimbach's creations.  Or an NZ Riesling is a nice substitute.