Onion Confit Quiche

This quiche was what you'd call a long shot, but surprisingly everyone loved it.

Not exactly a recipe, more a method:

A good few hours before you want the quiche, peel and finely slice a load of onions, probably a couple of pounds or so. Put them into a hot pan with some oil and butter, season with salt and pepper, stir it around and after about 5 minutes add a good slug of wine vinegar. Cook until all the vinegar evaporates, add a good sprinkling of thyme leaves, then turn the heat to its lowest and leave it, stirring occasionally, until the onion is really soft. This will probably take about 1 - 1½ hours or so.

It's best done in a large non-stick pan and I cover the onions with a wet cartouche for the last ½ hour. A cartouche is a posh name for a piece of greaseproof paper; run it briefly under the tap and put it directly on top of the onion. I don't know the exact reason why, but it works better than using the pan lid. Allow the cooked mixture to cool

Make a shortcrust pastry, you know the ½ fat to flour one (lard in this case). Line a flan tin with the pastry, then some greaseproof or baking parchment with beans or the like on top to hold the pastry flat. Bake at about 180°C for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for another couple of minutes. Stuff it in the fridge to rest

Spread the onion mix in the pastry case and put about 2 to 3oz of grated strong cheddar, or whatever cheese takes your fancy, on top.

Mix a ½pint (ish) double cream with 3 eggs, season and pour over.

Cook at 150 -160°C for about 30 to 40 minutes until set. Eat warm or cold.

The very long cooking time really brings out the sweetness in the onions which are also great on sausages.