Coal Roasted Sweet Onion & Gorgonzola Tart

April 23, 2019 | Flavor, NC

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ashley Moser.
as seen on episode “Onions | Engelhard, NC“, Season 8

Flavor, NC | Onion Tart Ingredients:

1 recipe tart dough (recipe below)
3 NC sweet onions
8 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 ounce aged balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Place whole unpeeled onions over coals of a medium hot fire, turning every 10 minutes for 30 minutes.
Remove from coals and let cool slightly.
Wrap onions individually with foil, adding a pat of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper before closing.
Return to coals and roast slowly for 45 minutes.
Remove and allow the onions to cool completely.
Unwrap from foil and remove the outer skins.
Slice into wedges, approximately 8 wedges per onion.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Roll tart dough into a 10 inch x 14 inch x ¼ inch thick rectangle (puff pastry may be substituted here). Poke holes with a fork every 2 inches to allow the dough to vent
Apply onion wedges liberally and evenly over dough, followed by generous crumbles of Gorgonzola and slices of fresh apple.
Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes, drizzle with aged balsamic before slicing and serving.

Tart Dough from BraveTart/Stella Parks

Ingredients:

8 ounces flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
8 ounces cold butter, cubed
5 ounces ice water
Extra flour for rolling

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Add in the cubed butter and use your fingers to break up the stuck-together pieces. Smash the butter cubes between your fingers to create flaky bits of butter. You want the butter to be flattened and about pea size.
Now, add in the water a little at a time and use a fork (or your fingers) to gently stir, until a loose ball of dough forms. You may not need all of the water, or you may need a touch more. Just use enough until it comes together in a shaggy ball. Knead it very lightly, just once or twice until it all holds together, more or less. This dough should be pretty shaggy, not smooth, and generally messy looking.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a roughly rectangular shape, about an inch thick. Now fold it into thirds, the way you’d fold a business letter. Wrap this chunk of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take the dough out and roll it into another rectangle, but this time about a 1/2” thick. Fold it into thirds again, and then fold that third in half. Pat it out with the pin or with your hands until it’s about 2” thick; refrigerate another 15 minutes.
Roll it out one more time, fold into thirds, wrap and refrigerate for another 15 minutes. Or as long as you like, even so long as two days.
If you’re ready to roll it out, dust the counter lightly with flour and set the block of dough out, dusting it with flour too. Roll in all directions, using good “follow through” so the dough does not become too thick around the edges. Check the dough very regularly to make sure it’s not sticking, lift and dust with flour underneath periodically.