Cipolle Lessate in Torta, which translates as Boiled Onion Pie, is quite similar to a quiche. To serve 6:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) sweet Neapolitan onions (use Vidalia or similar)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) unsalted butter
- Salt & pepper to taste
- A grating of fresh nutmeg (go easy)
- 1 3/4 cups (170 g) flour
- An egg
- 3 ounces (75 g) Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1/2 a glass (about 1/3 cup) milk or cream
Preparation:
Clean the onions, trimming the roots and removing their skins. Slice them thinly and boil them in abundant, lightly salted water until they are tender. Drain them well and sauté them in 1/4 cup butter over a very low flame until they fall apart (don't let them brown), seasoning them with salt, pepper and nutmeg. When they are done let them cool.Use 1 1/2 cups of flour and the remaining butter to make a piecrust and use it to line an 8-inch pie pan; trim away the excess and lightly prick the bottom of the pan with a fork.
Lightly beat the egg, cream, and the remaining flour in a bowl, and work in the cheese. Add the onions when they are cold, and use the mixture to fill the piecrust, making sure the filling is distributed evenly. Bake in a moderate oven (190 C, 380 F) for about an hour, at which point the surface will be nicely browned and the crust crunchy. Remove the pie from the oven, slip it from the pan, and serve it hot.
The wine? A firm, lightly to unoaked white, along the lines of a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
