Here’s an onion dish guaranteed to make you smile: a savory pie piled high with salty queso fresco.
This onion pie is a take on a classic Ecuadorian pie and makes for a great brunch, light lunch with a fresh side salad, or as a side dish to any entrée. You’ll find versions of this pie all over the world. In Greece, it’s filled with chunks of fresh feta; in North America, cheddar is an obvious option; in Italy, slices of mozzarella make the cut. In Ecuador, we use our local favorite, queso fresco and melt it until it’s gooey and irresistible. It’s also topped with a generous dusting of grated Parmesan. Yes, in Ecuador, we love Parmesan too! We use it to flavor plain rice, and you can also find it in chaulafan, an Ecuadorian chicken fried rice.
The filling is sweetened with onions, a very good source of bitamin C, B1, B6, and K, biotin, calcium, and fiber. This immune-enhancing vegetable is my favorite when it's caramelized, and a topping for virtually anything and everything looking for a boost of flavor. For this pie, the onions are, of course, caramelized with butter, sugar, and heavy cream, topped with cheese and an egg for some protein, and then baked until the pastry dough is crisp and golden.
When preparing this delicacy you can make your own fresh dough (or sneak in some store bought). Called a Pastel de Cebolla in Ecuador, it will sure be a crowd pleaser, so be certain to make enough for seconds.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds white onions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh white cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 9-inch pie crust