Puff pastry pie with caramelized onions and cheese
8 servings
60 minutes
Puff pastry pie with caramelized onions and cheese is a true symphony of flavors. Its roots trace back to Russian cuisine, where the harmonious combination of simple ingredients has always been valued. The flaky puff pastry gently envelops the filling of sweet caramelized onions and tangy hard cheese, creating a rich flavor contrast. The caramelization of the onions adds a light sweetness to the pie, highlighted by notes of wine vinegar and spices. The pastry is versatile—it is good both hot and cold, making it perfect as an appetizer or a complement to tea time. This pie can be garnished with fresh basil leaves, adding vibrant summer aromas. Its simplicity in preparation makes it a favorite treat at family gatherings and celebrations, while its elegance makes it a worthy choice even for festive tables.
1
Thaw the puff pastry by taking it out of the freezer about an hour before cooking, and grate the hard cheese.
- Unyeasted puff pastry: 2 pieces
- Hard cheese: 100 g
2
Meanwhile, prepare caramelized onions (I like to call it onion marmalade — it sounds tastier): slice the onions into thin half-rings, fry until golden in a pan, add a little water to simmer the onions for 10 minutes, then add red wine vinegar, ground black pepper, salt, cloves, sugar, and simmer for another 5 minutes, after which transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Red onion: 5 piece
- Red wine vinegar: 3 tablespoons
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Sea salt: to taste
- Cloves: 2 pieces
- Cane sugar: 1 tablespoon
3
To prepare the filling, cool part of the marmalade to a warm state and put the rest in the refrigerator. Place the dough on the table — I almost never roll out puff pastry but simply stretch it by hand to keep it from being too thin. If you prefer to roll it out, sprinkle flour on the work surface and roll it with a rolling pin, stretching from the center to the edges but not too thin. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil onto the thawed dough and create edges so that the filling doesn't spill out.
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
4
Place the prepared onion on the dough, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, cheese can be added immediately or 5 minutes before baking is done to melt.
- Red onion: 5 piece
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Hard cheese: 100 g
5
Place the future pie either in a mold or simply on a baking parchment (the second option is better — you can just throw away the used paper later). Put it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees and bake until golden brown, as the filling is already fully cooked.
6
Cut the ready pie into portioned pieces and serve as a snack or pastry with tea. It is delicious hot, warm, and even cold! I decided to decorate the pie with basil leaves since it was summer.
