Betty Kaiser
Savory Onion Pies
“Have you ever eaten or do you have a recipe for onion pie?” That simple question from reader Vivian Altman had me stumped. Not only had I never eaten onion pie but I also had never heard of it!
Vivian described the pie as baked in a pie shell with a custard-like filling. She and others tasted the pie at a senior potluck at the Community Center but no one knew who brought it because two events were going on simultaneously.
I was intrigued. So I asked several of my knowledgeable cook friends if they had a recipe for such a pie but they hadn’t heard of it either. I then moved on to one of my oldest cookbooks, Erma Rombauer’s “Joy of Cooking.” No onion pie recipes there either.
Finally, I resorted to a Google search of the Internet where I found dozens of onion pie recipes that were similar to the “tiny little bite” that Vivian described. Unfortunately, I never discovered the country of origin but the recipes were mostly attributed to German or French connections.
I did learn that onion pies are pretty basic. The main ingredient of a pie is — onions. Next, come cheese (sharp cheddar or Gruyere), eggs and potato. If you’re not a vegetarian you might like to add diced bacon or ham. Several cooks noted that an onion pie is an especially good side dish for any barbequed meat—especially pork.
Following are three recipes: One each for cheese, bacon and ham onion pies. I deleted the Gourmet pastry recipe because it was so tedious. I’ll print it another time when I do a column on pie crusts. In the interest of ease, any pie pastry recipe that works for you will be fine for these pies — even store bought! Enjoy!
GERMAN ONION PIE
1 (9-inch) pie shell, unbaked
4 thick slices of bacon, diced
2 cups peeled and chopped yellow onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Prick the bottom of the pie shell several times with a fork. Set aside.
Sauté bacon. Drain most of the fat from the pan. Add the onions and sauté until clear. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
Beat the eggs and sour cream together in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle the flour over the top and beat it in. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Spread the onions and bacon over the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the sour cream mixture over the top.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350’ F. and bake for another 15 minutes or until pie is nicely browned. Serve hot.
VIDALIA ONION AND HAM PIE
Southern Food
Chilled unbaked pie shells for 2-crust pie
A sweet onion pie with chopped ham, cheese, and cream.
3 to 4 medium Vidalia onions
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped ham
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese (your favorite)
3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
Dash of nutmeg
Halve the onions and slice thinly. Sauté in butter until tender. Add ham, then salt and pepper to taste; spread in chilled pie crust. Sprinkle the onion mixture with shredded cheese.
Whisk together the egg yolk, whole egg, and cream then pour over the onion mixture.
Sprinkle with nutmeg then roll out the remaining chilled pastry and fit it over the filling as a top crust.
Cut a 1/2-inch hole in the center of the pastry. Bake the pie at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking until the custard is set and the crust is browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool.
CHEDDAR CHEESE AND ONION PIE
Gourmet magazine
Chilled and unbaked pie shells for 2-crust pie
For filling and glaze
1 medium boiling potato (5 oz)
2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
9 oz good-quality white Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)
Make filling and glaze:
Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup). Steam potato in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Cook onion in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.
Whisk together 2 eggs, cream, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined well. Stir in potato, onion, and cheese.
Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl and reserve for egg glaze.
Assemble and bake pie:
Put oven rack in middle position and put a large baking sheet on it, then preheat oven to 425°F.
Fit one pie pastry shell into tart pan. Spoon filling evenly into pie shell and brush some of egg glaze on rim of shell.
Cover pie with the second pie shell. Trim edges of pie, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then press edges together and crimp decoratively.
Brush top of pie lightly with some of remaining egg glaze. Cut several steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.
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