Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Sorrel-Onion Tart

By Deborah Madison and Edward Espé Brown

4.1

(4)

The almost lemony, tart taste of sorrel is very pleasing with the sweet stewed onions. Even a small amount of sorrel will transform the character of what would otherwise be a more predictable onion pie. Though expensive to buy, sorrel is easy to grow. Plants can be bought in nurseries, put in the ground and harvested leaf-by-leaf for several years. It would be worth having a few plants to be able to make this tart in a regular basis.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes one 9-inch tart

Ingredients

1 recipe Tart Dough
4 tablespoons butter, in all
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 8 ounces sorrel leaves
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
Pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the tart dough, partially prebake it, and set it aside.

    Step 2

    Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a wide pan, add the onion and the salt. Cover the pan, and stew slowly until the onion is completely soft, about 10 minutes. Check it occasionally and give it a stir.

    Step 3

    While the onion is cooking, cut off the stems of the sorrel leaves and roughly slice the leaves. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a pan, and add the sorrel by large handfuls. Although the amount of leaves will seem voluminous, they will quickly cook down to almost nothing. Cook over a low heat until they have wilted and turned a grayish-green color, 3 to 4 minutes.

    Step 4

    Whisk the eggs with the cream; then stir in the onion, sorrel, and half of the cheese. Taste for salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper.

    Step 5

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Distribute the remaining cheese over the crust; then pour the filling on top. Bake in the center of the oven until the custard is set and well colored, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve the tart while it is hot. For wine, consider serving a chardonnay or French white Burgundy.

    Step 6

    This tart is based on a recipe from Richard Olney's Simple French Food.

Reprinted with permission from The Greens Cookbooks by Deborah Madison and Edward Espé Brown, © 1987 Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Deborah Madison was the founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, which has been in operation for more than two decades. She is the author of five cookbooks, including The Savory Way and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, both of which were awarded the Julia Child Book of the Year; Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone received a James Beard Award as well. She wrote the vegetable chapter for the new Joy of Cooking and contributes to many magazines, including Food and Wine, Saveur, and Gourmet. In 1987 Deborah Madison was awarded the André Simon Memorial Prize and in 1994 the M.F.K. Fisher Mid-Career Award from Les Dames d'Escoffier. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Edward Espé Brown, who learned to cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, is the author of the world-renowned Tassajara Bread Book, Tassajara Cooking, and The Tassajara Recipe Book.
TagsSavory Pie and TartSorrelLeafy GreensVegetableGruyèreCheeseDairyMainDinnerNut FreeVegetarianEasyBakingSpringCookbooks
Read More
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Spinach Ramen Gratin
You can consider this recipe a template for creating a gooey, cheesy instant ramen dish with an appetizing golden crust in the oven.
Halloumi Lasagna
In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.
Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Tater Tots Tossed in Date Butter
Put these out at a gathering, and we guarantee you’ll be hearing rave reviews for a long time.
Île Flottante
Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.
Spaghetti With Cabbage, Pancetta, and Calabrian Chile
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.