Yield: Approximately 16-18 palmiers
Ingredients:
k 1 ½ large yellow onions, thinly chopped
k 2 tbsp olive oil (or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)
k ½ tsp salt
k 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried thyme
k 1/3 cup beef (or mushroom or vegetable) stock
k ¼ cup grated Gruyere cheese
k 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (not non-stick) over medium heat. Add the onions in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add salt. Continue to cook the onions, turning every 8 to 10 minutes until the onions begin to brown. Add thyme and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions are a deep brown. Turn the heat up to medium and add stock to deglaze. Reduce completely and remove mixture from the heat. Refrigerate mixture until cool.
Remove dough from refrigerator and place on a clean, lightly floured work surface away from the oven. Unfold the dough and repair any tears or weak spots with fingers. Roll the dough gently once or twice in each direction with a floured rolling pin (See figure A) or alternately, a bottle of tequila will roll quite nicely. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the dough, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the mixture (B).
Fold the left side of the dough over halfway to the middle, and repeat on the right side (C). Fold the dough from each side over again, so that the two sides meet in the middle. Fold the right side of the dough over the left, to form a log. Flour both sides of the log and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Add a little more flour to the work surface and gently slice the log into ¼ inch slices to form individual palmiers (D). Place the palmiers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the palmiers are puffed and lightly browned.
