German onion tart (zwiebelkuchen)

Onion tart is served in the southern part of Germany at wine festivals. To achieve the perfect flavour use smoked speck, rather than bacon.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Pastry

• 40 g cold butter, diced
• 40 g cold lard, diced (or replace with butter)
• 175 g plain flour
• 50 ml iced water
• ½ tsp salt

Filling

• 350 g onions (2 medium onions)
• 70 g smoked speck, rind removed, cut into 5 mm dice
• 40 g Gruyere cheese, grated
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml cream
• 1 egg
• 1½ tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• pinch white pepper
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch paprika

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Resting time 1 hour

Chilling time 30 minutes

Instructions

To make the dough, combine butter, lard and flour in a bowl. Use your hands to rub in the butter and lard into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water and salt, quickly knead until smooth. Roll out dough on a lightly floured bench. Grease a 24 cm round tart tin. Ease the pastry into the tin so it comes up the sides and press into corners. Trim pastry to top of tin and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, preheat the oven to 190ºC. Cut onions in half and then in 3 mm slices. Fry the smoked speck in a non-stick pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Add onions, reduce heat to low and fry until softened and fragrant. Remove speck and onions from the pan and set aside to cool. Add cheese and mix well. Pour the onion and speck mixture onto the pastry.

Combine milk, cream, egg and flour in a bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine, then add salt, white pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Pour milk mixture over the onions and speck and bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Note

• Smoked speck is available at selected delicatessens. If unavailable, use smoked bacon from a butcher (as opposed to smoke-flavoured bacon which is more widely available).

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Michelle Noerianto.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.