French onion tart with cheese pastry and thyme

• plain flour↗200g g

  plus extra for dusting

• cold butter↗100g g

  cut into cubes, plus 25g

• Gruyère↗150g g

  Comté or vegetarian Italian hard cheese, grated

• thyme↗small handful of

  collected leaves

• olive oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• onion↗3 large

  thinly sliced

• white wine or sherry vinegar↗2 tbsp tbsp
• sugar↗1 tbsp tbsp
• brown anchovies↗2

  finely chopped, or use 1 tsp olive tapenade or umami paste

• eggs↗2 large
• double cream↗300ml ml
• extra virgin olive oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• balsamic vinegar↗2 tsp tsp
• sun-dried tomatoes↗2

  thinly sliced

• olives↗6-8 pitted black

  thinly sliced

• каперси↗1 tsp
• рукола↗a few handfuls of

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor together with 100 g of butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then add 50 g of cheese, 1 tbsp of thyme leaves, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Pulse briefly again. Add 2–3 tbsp of cold water and mix until a dough forms. If you don’t have a food processor, do it in a bowl – first rub the flour into the butter, then use a knife to combine the remaining ingredients. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 40 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat 25 g of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over low‑medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 40–50 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes sticky, golden and very soft when pressed with the back of a spoon. If it starts to burn, lower the heat and add a little water. Be patient – caramelisation takes time, but watch the pan so the onion does not burn.

3. 3

   Add the vinegar, sugar and anchovies. Stir constantly until the vinegar evaporates and the anchovies melt into the onion. Remove from heat.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C/170 °C with convection (gas 5) and roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm. Use the dough to line a 23 cm tart tin (help yourself with a rolling pin). Trim the edges so they overhang the sides slightly. If needed, seal the dough with the remaining pieces. Fold a sheet of parchment paper over it, then unfold again to line the dough, and fill it with ceramic baking beads. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beads, then bake another 5–8 minutes until the dough is dry and there are no raw spots.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, remaining thyme and the rest of the cheese together with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the caramelised onion. Trim the sides of the pastry with a serrated knife to even the edges. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined tin and gently tap the tin on the work surface to release air bubbles.

6. 6

   Bake the quiche for 25–30 minutes on the middle rack, until it is lightly golden and set in the centre with a slight wobble. Let it cool in the tin for at least 15–20 minutes, then slice. To prepare the salad, whisk olive oil and vinegar in a bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Place the salad over the quiche or serve separately. Optionally leave the quiche completely cooled, then chill before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.