 | |
| Alternative names | Zewelwaï |
|---|---|
| Course | Starter |
| Place of origin | France |
| Serving temperature | Hot, warm or cold |
| Main ingredients | Onions,shortcrust pastry |
Tarte à l'oignon orZewelwaï is a savoury tart with a baked filling of onions and cream. It is a speciality of the French region ofAlsace, and may be served hot, warm or at room temperature. It is typically served as a starter.
Onion pastries are familiar in many French regions and elsewhere, including theProvençalpissaladière,Flemishflamiche and from Britain theLancashireButter pie.[1]Elizabeth David singles out Zewelwaï as "the famous Alsatian speciality ... a truly lovely first course".[2]
The onions are thinly sliced and, in most versions, slowly cooked in fat. Different cooks and writers specify various fats, including butter and oil (David),[2]lard (Jane Grigson),[1]beef dripping (Felicity Cloake), olive oil (Gilles Pudlowski),[1] butter (André Soltner),[3] and goose fat (Anne Willan).[4]Larousse Gastronomique'sTreasury of Country Cooking recommends simmering the onions in water;[5]Gabriel Kreuther adds the onions raw to the filling.[6]
The mixture to which the onions are added may contain cream,crème fraîche, whole eggs, egg yolks, and bacon.[1] A variant made in the early months of the year,Zewelwaï printanière, substitutesspring onions for the usual brown ones.[4] Most cooksblind bake the pastry case before adding the filling,[1][4] although David does not.[2] The pastry is generallyshortcrust or a variant of it,[1] butLarousse specifiespuff pastry.[5] The filled pastry case is then baked.[1]
The cooked tart may be served hot,[2][5] warm,[1][3][6] or at room temperature.[3][6]
