Potato, brie and caramelised onion tart
<p>I make this tart when I want something with a bit of wow factor that’s not too difficult. The caramelised onions make it particularly gorgeous. This tart is lovely accompanied by a leafy salad with a vinegary dressing.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p>
<p><em>For the pastry</em></p>
<ul>
<li>225 g plain (all-purpose) flour</li>
<li>100 g unsalted butter, cold, diced</li>
<li>½ teaspoon sea salt</li>
<li>2 tablespoons cold water</li>
</ul>
<p><em>For the filling</em></p>
<ul>
<li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li>30 g unsalted butter</li>
<li>2 medium red onions, halved and sliced</li>
<li>2 medium potatoes, about 350 g, sliced into 5 mm slices</li>
<li>½ teaspoon salt for the cooking water</li>
<li>25 g grated parmesan cheese</li>
<li>170 ml thick (heavy) cream</li>
<li>3 large eggs, at room temperature</li>
<li>½ teaspoon sea salt</li>
<li>¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li>100 g brie, cut into 5 mm slices</li>
<li>1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p>
<ol start="1">
<li>Preheat the oven to 200°C and place a baking tray in the oven. You need a 23 cm round flan (tart) pan with fluted sides and removable base.</li>
<li>To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and pulse until the dough starts to clump together. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the pastry until smooth, about 1 minute. Form the pastry into a disc with your hands and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.</li>
<li>To make the filling, heat the olive oil and butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, until you start to see touches of gold on the onions, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium–low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes.</li>
<li>Put the potatoes and salt in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium–high heat and boil until tender, about 6–8 minutes, testing with the point of a sharp knife. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan over low heat for 1 minute to ensure any excess water has evaporated.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry into a circle about 3 mm thick. Line the flan pan with the pastry, taking care when pressing into the fluted sides. Trim the overhang, leaving a 5 mm lip around the edge of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Place the pan on the baking tray. Prick the pastry with a fork in a few places and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>To blind bake the pastry, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and the baking paper and return the pastry to the oven until the pastry looks dry and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the pastry with the parmesan cheese and set aside for 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Reduce the oven heat to 170°C.</li>
<li>In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cream, eggs, sea salt and pepper together until smooth.</li>
<li>To assemble the tart for baking, spread the onions over the parmesan in the pastry case. Layer the potato slices on top of the onions, followed by the brie. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Gently pour the egg mixture over the top.</li>
<li>Bake the tart until it is puffed and golden, about 40–45 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan and slicing.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Tip:</strong> use new potatoes.</p>
<p><img width="176" height="166" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37183/potato-cookbook_176x166.jpg" alt="Potato Cookbook" style="float: right;"/></p>
<p><em>This is an edited extract from </em>The Potato Cookbook<em> by Dale Whybrow published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $24.99 and is available in stores nationally. Image credit: Ben Cole.</em></p>
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