Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor’s Onion Pie
Published Sept. 25, 2022
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 3large onions, finely sliced
- 2tablespoons butter
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, preferably peanut oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 2tablespoons flour
- 3eggs
- ¾cup cream
- 1(9-inch) pie crust, blind-baked
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
312 calories; 23 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 308 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Sauté the onions in butter and peanut oil until they are tender and translucent. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the flour, and cook for just a few more minutes, then turn off the heat. Whisk the eggs with the cream, and mix well with the onions, then add the mixture to a partly blind-baked pie crust. Bake at 350 until the egg mixture is set, about 30 minutes.
Private Notes
Comments
Nothing wrong with adding cheese - every recipe can be modified - but then it's no longer truly an onion custard. When you add cheese, the proportions change and cheese is dominant, with onion for added flavor. It's just a different dish. You can add nutmeg, but it's unlikely that Vertamae would have done so. This is country food - especially the low country of South Carolina and Georgia, and some of the best flavors come unadorned..
Line the empty, uncooked pie crust with parchment paper or foil. Cover with pie weights or uncooked beans. Bake for 10-15 min @ 350. Remove liner and weights. Let cool. Then fill and bake according to recipe.
adding some grated cheese eg aged cheddar takes this one over the top
This recipe reminds me just how far cookbooks have come in 50 years. Sauté: high, medium or low heat? Until soft and translucent: just until translucent, until it’s falling apart, in between? I know, vibes, but some guidance on what vibe I’m looking for would help the first time I make it. The onions were labeled Maui at a Southern California farmers market. I went with medium heat for as long as it took to preheat the oven and par bake the crust (30 minutes?) I resisted adding anything, cheese, herbs, spices. It’s still in the oven, wish me luck!
So so so delicious. Made it almost as is, but subbed in white pepper for black. I sliced the onions very thinly and cooked them until they were quite golden.
Delicious. I may have used too much onion. I didn’t have three large so I used one medium and two small yellow onions plus most of a large red onion. When the pie had baked for half an hour the top was set, but that may have been because there were so many onions and not because the custard was cooked through. When we cut and ate the pie it seemed very wet. Next time I might use an instant thermometer to check the eggs for doneness.