Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quiche

For the Caramelized Onions:

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes (it really does take this long – if your onions are browning after 10 minutes your heat is too high).
2. Caramelized onions can be made ahead of time; refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Quiche:

1. Arrange oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Place a baking stone or metal baking sheet on the rack, and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly brush a 10-inch deep dish pie pan with melted ghee. Drape one sheet of phyllo dough into the pie pan. Brush lightly with melted ghee, focusing more on getting an even layer on the sides and edges, and just a super thin layer on the bottom. As you are working, keep the rest of the phyllo dough covered (I cover it with a layer of plastic wrap topped with a slightly damp kitchen towel—phyllo will dry out quickly so it’s important to keep it covered).
3. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, rotating the angle as you drape in subsequent sheets to ensure even coverage over the entire pie pan.
4. Brush the last sheet with a thin layer of ghee. Gently fold over the edges so they are flush with the top of the pie pan. Brush folded edges with a bit more ghee.
5. Place a lightweight in the bottom of the crust. I used a 7-inch aluminum pie pan. You could also use a round of parchment with a few pie weights or a pie chain would be perfect. You need a little weight on the bottom of the crust, no need to fill the entire dish full with weights like you would a standard pie crust.
6. Place pie pan on the preheated stone or baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are just starting to color. Remove weight, and bake for 2-3 minutes more to dry out the bottom. Let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
8. Combine eggs, milk, cream, and crème fraîche in a blender. Mix on low speed until smooth. Mix in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (You can also use a whisk to mix the ingredients by hand, just make sure you get it completely smooth).
9. Scatter caramelized onions in the bottom of the par-baked crust, followed by about 1 1/4 cups of the cheese. Gently pour egg mixture over top, then scatter with remaining cheese.
10. Bake quiche for 45 to 55 minutes or until edges are browned and puffed, and center is barely still jiggly. A paring knife inserted near the center should come out cleanly. Check it after 30 or 40 minutes, if the edges of the crust are starting to get too brown, cover with a ring of foil.
11. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature, about 1 to 2 hours. Ideally, you’d refrigerate it (covered) for a few more hours or even overnight to fully set the quiche before slicing.
12. Re-warm the quiche by placing slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until filling is heated through and crust is extra crispy.