A French Onion Tart Recipe from Our Young Lady of Paris

Coco Mary Blignaut admits that she has had many lives in one lifetime. Born in South Africa, she has travelled extensively and now lives in Southern California near Los Angeles. An actress, film producer, writer and educator, Blignaut has written several books, including Mademoiselle Puss in Provence and now Our Young Lady of Paris. Blignaut agreed to share the book’s recipe for a French onion tart. It is a version of a pissaladière from Provence. This onion tart is quick to prepare and perfect for lunch with a salad or an appetizer with drinks.

French Onion Tart

Our Young Lady in Paris

A rich, buttery pastry crust (buy in the cooler or frozen section in the supermarket), topped with sweet roasted onions, gruyere cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs, make this a French onion tart. In Provence, we call it a pissaladière. It is a perfect meal for lunch with a fresh salad and lemon dressing or a lovely appetizer finger food at parties with drinks.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Lunch Dish

Cuisine French, Provencal

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• rolling pin stainless steel 16-inch
• baking sheet, rimmed, non-stick 10x14
• silicone baking mat set optional

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 rectangular roll of puff pastry Pâte feuilletée*, thawed in the fridge

Onion Topping

• 1 cup Gruyere Cheese shredded (4 oz)
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme minced
• 2 tsp fresh chives minced
• 1 1/4 lbs sweet onions about 3 medium onions
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream (35%)
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter diced
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the thawed puff pastry dough between two lightly floured wax paper sheets, slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches.
• Place on a baking sheet on top of a sheet of parchment paper or silpat. Sprinkle the rolled pastry with the gruyére cheese right to the edges. Sprinkle with thyme and chives or fresh herbs of your choice.
• Peel, halve, and very thinly slice the onions into half moons, keeping the moons intact. Place the onion half moons on the pastry in diagonal lines, barely overlapping and brush lightly with cream. Dot with the butter and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the tart is golden and browned. Cover the edges with foil if the tart gets too brown during baking. Decorate with edible leaves and flowers.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

*In France, Pâte feuilletée and other pastry dough are available in grocery stores fridge (cooler) section. These ready-made pastries may not replace making your own, but certainly save time. Look for "pure beurre" pâte feuilletée in a rectangual shape.

Keyword Onions, Puff Pastry, Tarts

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The Book

Blignaut’s latest book features the City of Lights through the imagination of Agnes Fleury, a young person in Paris. Or is it a dream? While you never really know, Agnes (played by Claire Murphy) visits many of Paris’s classic monuments and districts. Beautifully illustrated in a collage format, the book includes a playlist for anyone interested in what this teenager listened to during her day in the capital city.

About the Author

For more information about Coco Blignaut, please read her IMDb profile here. There is additional detail about her books on Flower Child Books and her film production company Rosarium Films.

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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).