Knives Cooks Love: How to Buy, Sharpen, and Use Your Most Important Kitchen Tool

Caramelized Onion Tart with Kalamata Olives

There's lots of dicing and mincing to do here, but once that's out of the way, you just toss everything together and you're done. This makes a fresh, colorful condiment for grilled or sautéed pork chops, chicken breasts, or fish fillets.

Served with a simple salad, this makes a lovely light supper. Cut into smaller squares, it becomes an enticing hors d'oeuvre. Slicing the onion takes a few minutes, but when you're done, you'll have the radial cut down pat.

Serves 4 as a light supper or 8 as an appetizer

1 pound (about 4 medium) yellow onions
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 45 minutes
5 or 6 pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
4 to 6 anchovy fillets (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the onions into 1/4-inch slices, cutting with the grain using the radial cut; you should have about 4 cups onions. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and salt, and cook. Stir the onions often and adjust the heat as needed, until the onions are caramelized, about 35 minutes; they should be soft and have darkened to a golden shade of tan. You may need to add a bit of water to the pan to prevent sticking.

Add 1 teaspoon of the rosemary and season to taste with salt. Transfer the onions to a plate and let cool until the onions are lukewarm, at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough. On a lightly floured surface, gently unfold the sheet of puff pastry. Mend any cracks in the seams by pinching the dough together. Roll the dough to an 11 by 11-inch square and put it on the lined baking sheet. Fold over the edge of the dough to form a 1/4 to 1/2-inch rim. Prick the dough with a fork in several places (but not the rim). Refrigerate the dough until you're ready to assemble the tart.

Once the onions are lukewarm, distribute them evenly over the dough (tuck in any strands that extend beyond the square or they'll burn). Arrange the olives evenly on top. Lay the anchovies between the olives. Bake until the crust is golden on top and underneath, all the way into the center (lift it up to check), 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the tart to a cutting board. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon of rosemary on the tart. Use a chef's knife to cut straight through the crust and portion the tart into squares. Serve warm.

Onions

Radial Cut

1 Using a chef's knife, trim off the end opposite the hairy root. Cut the onion in half through the root, and peel off and discard the papery outer skin. Set half of the onion flat side down. Place the knife just above the root and, tilting the blade so it's at a 45° angle to the cutting board, notch out the entire root core and discard it. Set the onion with the root end away from you. Starting on one end of the onion and tilting the blade so it's almost parallel to the board, cut a couple of lengthwise slices, cutting through to the center of the onion.

2 Continue slicing, raising the knife as you follow the curve of the onion, always cutting to the center. When you're at the halfway point, the knife should be completely vertical.

3 Turn the onion onto its other flat side. Repeat the cut, taking your time with the last few slices when you're left with a very narrow wedge. Repeat with the other onion half.

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Contact: Aimee Bianca, YC Media: (212) 609-5009, aimee@ycmedia.com

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Knives Cooks Love: How to Buy, Sharpen, and Use Your Most Important Kitchen Tool

Authors: Sur La Table, Sarah Jay
ISBN: 978-0-7407-7002-9
Format: Hardcover: 7 1/2 x 10 1/2, 192 pages with 175 photos and 21 recipes
Price: $25.00 hardcover ($27.50 Canada)