Ah, Balthazar. I don't often do this, but I am reprinting my Yelp review from 2007, the last time I dined there. What a moment in time! It makes me smile to remember it.
[6/11/10: What a nightmare - you can't copy and paste Yelp reviews, apparently. If you want to check it out, click here.]
How appropriate that I ended it with the Goat Cheese Tart, which is what I am featuring in this post.
Last night's Book Club had a French theme, based on the book Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (excellent read!), so I had the perfect excuse to make the Goat Cheese Tart. I've made it several times before, but one thing that always bothered me is that the photo in the book shows these pretty tarts with nicely browned tops, whereas mine always looked sort of plain and weirdly yellow from the egg yolk wash. Not having a mini blow torch in my arsenal, I stuck the pan under the broiler for a few minutes after baking, and voila! Tres jolie.
Goat Cheese Tart
with Caramelized Onions
For the Crust:
- 1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
- 1 t. salt
- 1 stick plus 2 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
- 2 extra-large egg yolks
- 3 T. ice-cold water
- 1/4 C. olive oil
- 3 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into 1/8" half moons
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz. fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 1 extra-large egg yolk, beaten
To make the crust, combine the flour, salt, and chilled butter in the bowl of a food processor
Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal, about 10 seconds
With the machine running, add the 2 egg yolks and ice water through the feed tube
Continue to process until the dough forms a ball, about 20 seconds
With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate, at least 1 hour or overnight
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Remove the dough from the refrigerator
To make the filling, over a low flame, heat the olive oil in a large skillet
Add the onions, thyme, bay lear, and 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper
Stir occasionally, cooking the onions until soft and golden, reducing their volume by nearly half; this can take up to an hour
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard thyme and bay leaf
Meanwhile, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness
Coat the tart pan with non-stick spray (note: my removable-bottom tart pan is non-stick, so I skipped this step).
Fit the dough snugly in the pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom edge and fluted sides
Trim the excess with a sharp knife, and prick the dough several times with the tines of a fork
Place the tart pan on a sheet tray
Line the dough with aluminum foil, and weigh down with raw rice or beans. Bake for 15 min
Remove foil and weights, and continue to bake a few minutes more, until the crust takes on a light brown color
Remove from the oven and allow to cool while the filling is completed
In a food processor, mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, 2 eggs and remaining 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper. Process until smooth
Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the bottom of the prebaked tart shell, and pour the cheese mixture over the onions
Using a wide pastry brush, gently brush the beaten egg yolk over the top of the tart. Aim for complete coverage
Bake for 12 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 15 min and serve warm
Here is is with the Blackberry and Lemon Clafoutis we had last night - worth the effort.
