Savory Gruyere Tart

What’s better than a creamy cheese filling sitting in a buttery crust and topped with sweet and sour marmalade onions? Make this savory gruyere tart STAT.

One of my favourite cheeses is Gruyere. If I am going to be really specific I love Comte the most. This is a French Gruyere style cheese made with unpasteurised cows milk. I will usually choose this over any cheese at any time. A good Comte has a fruitiness and almost sweetness with a nutty flavour I find irresistible. It’s all due to the freshness of the milk, the season- winter or summer it is made and the cheesemaker. The highland cows eat herbs and flowers in their grass in the summer and lush green grasses in the winter so the flavour of the milk changes and this plays a big part in the taste of the finished cheese. Comte is aged in giant 30 kilo wheels.

Of course it might be a little bit rich to suggest that you would buy Comte to make this tart but if you do you will not regret it. You can make it with Gruyere from Switzerland or even a Tasmanian Gruyere instead. If either of these are hard to track down you can use cheddar. It won’t be as fruity/ nutty but it will still be the best tart you have ever tasted. At one time a couple of years back I had a job writing recipes for a cheese distributor and I had unlimited Comte and Gruyere to play with so I originally made this with Comte. Mix and match the cheeses if you like.

You can buy Gruyere (Australian and Swiss) in most big department stores in Australia and undoubtedly in the UK. In the US you’ll definitely find it at Wholefoods.

So this type of cheese goes very well with sweet and sour type flavours. Balsamic vinegar, sweet and sour onions, sweet and sour cherries and quince style pastes. That’s why this cheese tart is heavenly with Marmalade onions. They are just really slow cooked onions that are finished with a few spoons of marmalade from that jar sitting in the fridge. You could use other left over jam too. Try cherry or plum jam or you could also use a quince or guava paste in it’s place too. I used left over orange marmalade and loved the faint orange flavour it gave.

Cook the tart until it is only just set. This ensures the it is creamy and meltingly good.

Click here for the crust recipe.

Savory Gruyere Tart

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• Author: Tania Cusack
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

Creamy Gruyere custard in a buttery tart shell, topped with sweet and sour marmalade onions. A sophisticated yet simple side dish.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 (237 ml) Baked tart shell
• 7 oz (200 gm) grated Gruyere Cheese
• 1 1/2 cups (300 ml) thickened (heavy cream)
• 3 yolks (large)
• 2 lbs (1 kg) sliced onions
• 2 oz (50 gm) butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons orange marmalade
• 5 Tablespoons white balsamic or Caramelized balsamic
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic (or plain balsamic if using caramelized above)
• 50 gm (2 oz) Walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons sugar

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Instructions

1. Put ½ the grated cheese onto the bottom of the tart case.
2. Put the egg yolks, cream and the rest of the cheese into a bowl with some salt and pepper and mix well. Pile the mixture into the tart case along with the other cheese.
3. Put the tart into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until just set (it may be a bit wobbly when shaken).

To make the onions

1. Heat a pot and add the olive oil and butter. Let it melt, then add the onions and cook on low heat until starting to wilt and color, stirring frequently. (The bottom may catch a little. Just don’t scrape it.)
2. When the onions are golden in color, add the marmalade and the white balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until the onions become a deeper golden color and look kind of glossy.
3. Add a tablespoon of sweet balsamic to finish.

To make the walnuts

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan and add the walnuts. Toss over a medium heat until starting to color.
2. Once they are lightly colored, turn off the heat and sprinkle over the sugar, tossing to coat. The sugar will melt with the residual heat and coat the walnuts. Cool on a plate.
3. Serve the tart with a little extra balsamic (sweet or aged).

Notes

• For a richer flavor, use a combination of Gruyere and Comté cheeses.
• To prevent over-browning, cover the edges of the tart shell with aluminum foil during the initial baking.
• Leftover tart can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French-Inspired

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 10
• Sodium: 300
• Fat: 25
• Saturated Fat: 15
• Unsaturated Fat: 8
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 10
• Cholesterol: 100

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