Filling 1/4 c Peanut oil
2 lb Vidalia sweet onions Pie pastry; see below
2 Egg yolks Pie pastry
6 tb Heavy cream 2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Water 1/2 c Unsalted butter
1/4 lb Bacon; cut in strips 2 Egg yolks
1 ts Flour 1 ts Salt
1 ts Salt 6 tb Cold water
FILLING: Slice onions thinly and layer in large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of
salt to them and set aside to draw out the water for at least 30 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of water. Steam onions until transparent
and water is cooked out. Meanwhile, place sliced bacon in a small amount
of water in a shallow pan and blanch to remove excess fat. Bacon should be
limp. Pour off liquid and coarsely chop. When water is cooked out of
onions, add 1 teaspoon of flour and stir to dissolve.
Remove from heat and add 2 egg yolks and cream with the onions. Stir
constantly.
PIE PASTRY: Sift flour onto a pastry board, cloth or dough bowl and make a
large well in the center. Pound butter to soften slightly or have at room
temperature. Place butter, egg yolks, salt and smaller amount of water in
the well and work together with the fingertips of one hand until partly
mixed. Gradually work in flour, pulling dough into large crumbs using the
fingertips of both hands. If the crumbs are dry, sprinkle over a
tablespoon of more water. Press dough firmly together – it should be soft,
but not sticky. Work on a lightly floured board, pushing dough away with
the heel of the hand and gathering it up with a dough scraper until smooth
and pliable. Press dough into a ball. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and
chill for 30 minutes. It can be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator
for up to 3 days.
DIRECTIONS: Roll pastry to about 1/2 inch thickness in a rectangular shape.
Place pastry on an oiled baking sheet. Crimp edges of pastry if desired.
Beat an egg yolk with a pinch of salt and brush over the entire pastry.
This is called “egg glazing” and helps the filling adhere to the pastry.
Pierce pastry with a fork in several places to prevent bubbles from forming
while baking. Spread onion mixture over the pastry and sprinkle the chopped
bacon on top. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until nicely
borwned. Cut into 1 inch squares for hors d’oeuvres. May be made a day
ahead and reheated. Wait to cut until after heating if made ahead. May be
baked in individual tartlet pans or a pie plate. From “Sweet Vidalia
Onions” Blue Ribbon Recipes Published by Howell Printing Company Aiken,
South Carolina ISBN 0-9614318-1-4 Library of Congress Catalog Number
86-090484 If unable to obtain, write the author directly – Evelyn Rogers
P.O. Box 736 Vidalia, Georgia 30474
Yields
6 servings