Pissaladier Nicoise

I am going to start this blog with a statement: I never knew an onion could taste so good. Ever. (And if you live in an apartment, open the front door to let the fragrance out. Make your neighbors jealous. Very very jealous...)

Julia Child is an inspiration to home cooks everywhere. I had wanted to try her recipe for Pissaladiere Nicoise, or Onion Tart with Black Olives, for quite some time. Though she might not agree with my using a pre-made pie crust, the culinary attempts of a busy New Yorker must pick his battles. Especially in our tiny kitchen. Charlie makes this microscopic counter his pasta-making paradise. I am (and will always) be impressed with this. Let him have this glory, I am not as talented. Or patient. Pillsbury is a god-send.

Julia suggests making a large pie. This would have been fine, but my heart was set in attempting to make individual tarts. I don't know why, I just wanted to. To have a little pie just for yourself, like a birthday present, makes your meal so much more special. It's fun food. I am glad I did this, and I am glad for several reasons. To start, one slice of this finished pie could have easily led to two, or even three! Making smaller tarts, instead of a large one, controls the craving to eat the entire thing. Once you make this, you will know what I am talking about. Secondly, small leftover tarts make great lunches or "to-tired-to-cook" dinner. They also freeze well.

Materials:
2-2 1/2 lbs. Spanish onion
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. dried herbs (I used oregano)
16 pitted black olives (I hand-pitted the oil cured Greek ones. These are a personal addiction.)
2 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
a pinch of cloves
Pre-made Pillsbury pie crust
1-2 cups of White (or Rose) wine

1. Finely slice the onions length-wise and sautee in 1 Tsp butter.
2. Add seasonings
3. Sautee for 30 minutes. When softened completely, add your wine and turn up the heat for 5-10 minutes more. This will caramelize the onions and evaporate the alcohol. What you are left with are golden-brown strings of yumminess.
4. Add olives and discard bay leaves.
5. Place mixture in pie crust(s) and bake for 10 ins. on 450.

I apologized to Julia for not following her EXACT recipe. I didn't have the materials to make an herb bouquet (I mixed the seasonings in WITH the onions), and I really wanted to add my leftover Rose with which to deglaze the pan. I also used butter instead of oil, but when has Julia turned her back on butter? I figured she would have been OK with this, and if she were here to eat one of these gems, I think she'd let me off the hook. They were crisp, moist, and made me want to make a million of them for a cocktail party. They were SO cute and oh so good. I never knew an onion could taste like this.

Julia's seasoning has always lended itself to the smaller amounts, which always make me uneasy. I know this is the "American" in me, the person who is used to big, super-seasoned cuisine. I was proven wrong. Such delicate amounts took something as simple as an onion to such unexpected heights. Thank you, Julia. We owe you one.