Almost a Tatin

Summer dining often uses descriptions like raw, crunchy, fresh or light. Once the produce really kicks in after the hungry gap, I describe every thing as being packed with flavour! So for me summer is about using as much of the ingredient as possible.

Fresh onions are yet another 2 for 1 vegetable. The tops like a hearty spring onion and the bulbs themselves sweet and floral. Putting them together and giving a slower cook releases the sun ripe sugars.

A little honey and perhaps a pinch of chilli make this tart sing, hot or cold with a kohlrabi coleslaw. 


Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 bunches of SLF fresh onions
A thumb of butter
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt flakes
Fresh ground black pepper
A pinch of chilli flakes
1 garlic bulb
Honey
1 sheet of puff pastry

Preheat oven to 190°C


1.                Warm a frying pan over a low heat. Trim the onion tops and half the bulbs along their length before peeling the outer layer and cutting the root off. 

2.               Add the butter and a small puddle of oil to the pan, and once the butter sizzles arrange the onions cut side down in what ever artistic pattern takes your fancy. Season with chilli flakes, salt and pepper.

3.               While the onion is slowly cooking, slice the garlic, the tops and any bulbs that didn’t fit in the pan. Pile over the top of the onion in the pan and continue to cook for 20 minutes.

4.               Drizzle a little honey around the onions once a darker edge to the onions in the pan is visible.

5.               Cut the puff pastry into a disc a little larger than the onion pile so it fits just inside the pan, and lay it on top of the onions. Remove from the heat and cut a cross in the centre before putting into the preheated oven.

6.               Once the pastry has risen and is a rich golden colour, around 35 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to sit for a minute or two. Put a large plate or baking sheet over the top of the pan and carefully flip it over so the pastry top is now the base.

7.               Either eat straight from the oven or leave to cool before serving.


Serve with a coleslaw or tomato salad.


Chef Notes:
1.               Cheese is a delicious addition to this tart. Sprinkle it over the onions just before adding the pastry.
2.               Nuts are also wonderful with this recipe. Again sprinkle over the onions just before adding the pastry.