Onion lovers, take note. This caramelized tart, a riff on the classic apple version, calls for 28 shallots plus a gooey red onion jam.
We saw this recipe on a new (to us), beautifully photographed food blog, O Pistachio. The tart is baked just like a tarte Tatin, with the pastry fitted on top of the caramelized onions. Then you invert the whole thing onto a plate to serve.
The pastry is a store-bought puff pastry, which makes the process easier, and Philomena, the author of O Pistachio, assures us that it isn't onion overload, since they are cooked down and sweetened.
Ingredients
We saw this recipe on a new (to us), beautifully photographed food blog, O Pistachio. The tart is baked just like a tarte Tatin, with the pastry fitted on top of the caramelized onions. Then you invert the whole thing onto a plate to serve.
The pastry is a store-bought puff pastry, which makes the process easier, and Philomena, the author of O Pistachio, assures us that it isn't onion overload, since they are cooked down and sweetened.
Ingredients
- 10 banana shallots, cut into round circles about a 1cm/½in thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz dry Madeira
- 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
- 20g/¾oz fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made all-butter puff pastry
- plain flour, for dusting
- sea salt and white pepper
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 45g/1½oz butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 200g/7oz goats’ cheese, preferably Dorstone or Tymsborough goats’ cheese, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 200ml/7fl oz single cream
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice only
|
|
Method
- Season the shallots lightly with salt and white pepper. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and the butter and cook until foaming. Add the shallots and cook until caramelised.
- Drain off the butter and return the shallots to the heat. Add the vinegar and cook until it has evaporated. Add the Madeira and cook until it too has evaporated.
- Add a little chicken stock, reduce to a simmer and place some parchment on top. Gently cook until the shallots are getting a little soft. Remove from the heat and leave to rest and suck up all the flavours.
- For the balsamic caramel, put the sugar in a saucepan. Add a little water and stir so it’s like a paste. Slowly bring to the boil (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully.). The liquid will boil clear and very slowly it will start to turn amber.
- When the sugar syrup is golden, remove from the heat and at arm’s length add the balsamic. Leave for a few moments, then whisk in the butter until the sauce has a butterscotch consistency. Season with salt and pepper and taste; it may take a little more balsamic to cut the sweetness and a little more seasoning. Set aside.
- For the whipped goats’ cheese, put the cheese in a food processor with the paddle attachment and turn the processor on to slow. Add a little cream just to lighten the consistency (you may not need it all). Add a little lemon juice to taste (reserve the zest for garnish). Spoon into a bowl and cover with cling film, then set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
- Spoon the caramel into four blini pans to lightly cover the bottom of each pan. Add some thyme to each pan, then add the shallots.
- Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and cut out four circles just larger than the blini pans. Place the pastry over the shallots and, using the end of a spoon, push it into them all the way around. Make a small hole in the middle. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Leave the tarts for 10 minutes to soak up all that wonderful flavour. While they are still warm, turn them out onto a plate and serve with a spoon of the goats’ cheese in the middle of each tart. Top with watercress, a little olive oil, the lemon zest and chives.