Knowing how to slice, cook onions makes big difference
Back in the '80s and '90s, I used to work behind the scenes with Julia Child during her appearances on “Good Morning America.” It was my job to prepare the food she would put before the cameras.
Once, when I knew in advance that I couldn't be there for one of her upcoming appearances, I invited a pal of mine — a culinary professional — to try out for the gig. We prepped the food as usual, and at the end of the day I thought my friend had done a dandy job. Julia flatly disagreed and said, “She sliced the onions the wrong way.”
Yikes! I simply hadn't focused on how my friend sliced the onions. I didn't think this detail was that important. Now I realize Julia was right. Exactly how you slice an onion makes a difference. So does how you cook it.
Everyone knows that chopping onions can literally bring tears to your eyes. Here's why. When an onion's cells are ruptured, they give off pungent sulfur fumes. The more roughly an onion is treated — such as when it is chopped with a dull knife or pulsed in a food processor — the more fumes it gives off.
There are any number of quaint folk remedies for this problem but none of them works.
What does work when you're chopping up a lot of onions is wearing onion goggles. Modeled on welder's goggles, these babies prevent the onion's fumes from reaching your eyes. But the best everyday tactic is to chop or slice the onion quickly and with a very sharp knife. Chilling the onion for an hour or two ahead of time also is a good idea.
Let's turn to the correct way to slice an onion, à la Julia. Lengthwise, not crosswise, is the way to roll. Cutting an onion in half through the root end and then slicing it from stem to stern stimulates far fewer sulfur fumes. These lengthwise slices also happen to hold together much better than crosscut slices because you've sliced with the grain instead of against it. This is especially important when you want the slices to maintain their shape.
Finally, we come to how to cook an onion, which affects not just the flavor of the onion, but of the whole dish. If you throw it into a hot pan and quickly sauté it over high heat, the onion and the dish it's added to will be bland. If you do it slowly over low heat, you'll maximize the onion's flavor.
All of these tips apply to making my Alsatian onion pie. The French call it tarte flambée. The Germans call it Flammkuchen. It strikes me as more like a pizza than anything else.
I tasted it for the first time on a river cruise in France. I was knocked out by its combination of simplicity and big flavor. With a fresh salad, this treat would make the perfect light supper for spring.
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutesMakes three 10- to 12-inch pizzas6 ounces bacon, thinly sliced crosswise4 cups thinly sliced yellow onionKosher salt and ground black pepper8 ounces crème fraîche1 large egg yolkPinch nutmeg1½-pound ball purchased pizza dough, room temperature3 ounces coarsely grated Gruyere cheeseIn a large skillet over medium, cook the bacon, stirring, until it starts to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet.Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Arrange one of the oven racks on the oven's bottom shelf.In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche, egg yolk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper.Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out each piece into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer each to a 15-by-17-inch sheet of kitchen parchment. The dough may shrink and lose its shape. If so, roll it again on the parchment.One at a time, transfer each piece of parchment and dough to a baking sheet (unless your oven can fit 2 sheets on one shelf, you'll need to bake these one at a time).Spread a third of the crème fraîche mixture over the piece of dough on the baking sheet, then top with a third of the onions and bacon. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese, then bake on the oven's lower shelf for 10 minutes, or until the crust is crisp.Repeat with remaining dough and toppings. Serve right away.
