Caramelized Onion, Thyme, Proscuitto and Goat Cheese Tart

Directions

1. preheat oven to 350, start defrosting the puff pastry, soften goat cheese
2. peel all the onions
3. cut each onion in half pole-to-pole (not equatorially) - ie, pick an end and cut through to the other end, not through the middle
4. cut the non-root end off each onion
5. thinly slice the onions - do your best (uniformity isn't always ideal - a slight variety in size in this case can improve the dish. just don't make the slices too big [keep under 1/4 inch])....[tip - use your sharpest knife & wear contact lenses to avoid tearing up]
6. melt the butter in a tall pot over medium heat
7. add all the sliced onions (it should mostly fill the pot though you should be able to reach down to the bottom with a wooden spoon to stir)
8. add salt and sugar
9. cook on medium while stirring every few minutes (every time bottom onions start to brown NOT burn) until volume has reduced by at least 50%.
10. reduce heat to low and keep an eye on the onions for the next 2-3 hours, stirring every 5-10 minutes - you're looking for onion jam basically. The smaller cuts will have mostly disintegrated into a delicious onion goo and the larger bits will be well browned w/ a bit of tooth still left in them.
11. while the onions cook, dice the proscuitto and strip the leaves from the thyme (reserve both) [make sure you continually scrape up the good bits at the bottom. ps - don't flippin burn the onions!!!]
12. vigorously poke the puff pastry with a fork & bake as directed on box
13. when onions are completely caramelized (deep, dark brown and approximately 2-3 cups worth), add thyme, proscuitto and salt & pepper to taste
14. place one sheet of puff pastry on cutting board, spoon onion mixture and spread to within 1" of the edge
15. evenly apply strips of goat cheese on top of the onions [cut a slit in the goat cheese wrapper, grab ahold of the whole tube & squeeze it through your clenched fingers - takes some getting used to but totally worth it.... oddly satisfying too]
16. place second sheet of puff pastry on top and apply pressure to ooze onions to nearly the edge
17. slice and serve [serrated knife] - sprinkle some excess thyme on top for garnish. nicely paired with simple greens & light vinaigrette as a small meal or in little pieces as a side dish [warning - the latter can get a bit messy if you try to cut the puff pastry too small - you can use something else instead of puff pastry... if you dare]