Shallot Tarte Tatin

Serves: 4

A savoury twist on the classic French apple tart, this makes an excellent lunch or supper with a simple green salad and some good sharp cheese (goat’s or other). If you don’t have the right sized ovenproof frying pan, transfer the cooked shallots to a small greased pie dish or shallow cake tin before topping with the pastry.

Ingredients
Method

Ingredients:

50g butter

500g shallots, peeled

120ml good-quality balsamic vinegar

small bunch of thyme, tied together tightly with string

1 x 300g ready-rolled sheet all-butter puff pastry

salt and black pepper

method:

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof frying pan (beware wooden and plastic handles!). The shallots will shrink a lot, so the pan might need to be smaller than you’d imagine. Add the shallots and cook on a medium heat until they start to brown, turning occasionally, about eight minutes.
Poach the shallots until they are cooked through and completely soft, about 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove the thyme, then bubble the liquid and reduce it until the balsamic vinegar becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Cut a circle of pastry a little larger than the pan, then lay it over the shallots and quickly tuck down the sides (without burning your fingers). Cut a small slit in the centre for a steam vent.
Immediately place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Leave to cool for five minutes, and then invert on to a large flat plate or wooden board, cut into wedges and serve warm.

Print Recipe www.riverford.co.uk/recipes