Red onion tarte tatin with goats’ cheese

Serves 4

This savoury twist on a tarte tatin from Daniel Galmiche is the perfect dish to make for a lovely lunch with friends.

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Ingredient

• 375g ready-made puff pastry (and plain flour, for dusting)
• 200g caster sugar
• Half tsp lemon juice
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 6 red onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 100g soft goats’ cheese log such as Sainte Maure
• 1 tsp black onion seeds
• 4 handfuls of pea shoots
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1Roll out the pastry on a, lightly floured work surface and cut into four discs, each about 20cm in diameter. Put the pastry on a baking sheet cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes to prevent the pastry shrinking during baking.

2Preheat the oven to 160° C. Melt the sugar, lemon juice and 80ml of water in a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes until it turns a rich golden brown. Divide into four 15cm non-stick cake tins or ovenproof dishes. Put a thyme sprig in the centre of each tin, then put the red onion quarters, rounded-side down, into the caramel; there should be six quarters in each pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 190 °C.

3Take the pastry out of the refrigerator and quickly and carefully put the pastry over the top of the onions, pushing the edges down into the sides of the dishes. Brush tops with egg wash quickly as the pastry will start to melt if you take too long. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top, then return it to the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and crisp.

4Remove the tarts from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Put an upside-down plate the size of the dish on top of the first tart and, holding both the plate and dish, flip it over to unmould the tart onto the plate. Crumble the goats cheese over the top of the tart and sprinkle with the black onion seeds. Repeat with the remaining tarts.

5Toss the pea shoots with the extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Serve the tarts as the cheese just starts to melt, with the pea shoot salad served separately.

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Recipe extracted from Living France Magazine

Originally from French Countryside Cooking: Inspirational Dishes from the Forest, Fields and Shores of France by Daniel Galmiche.

Lead photo credit : Red onion tarte tatin with goats' cheese from Living France Magazine