This is my version of an Annabel Langbein recipe (love that lady). It’s a pretty easy job to assemble once you have made the pastry and the onions can be made well in advance. There is no blind baking of the pastry case either – a pet hate of mine….!! This Caramelised Onion Tart makes a great vegetarian midweek supper or a rather special lunch dish.
For the Onions
6 red onions peeled and sliced thinly
375ml water
75g raw sugar
salt and pepper
Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick and glossy – a bit like a chutney. Remove from the heat and cool before storing in the fridge until you need it. This recipe makes more onions than you need for the tart but any leftovers are fabulous with a cheeseboard or for jazzing up a sandwich!
For the Pastry
250g high grade flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
220g cold butter, diced
4 tbsp cold water
Put all the ingredients except the water in a food processor and pulse until you have what looks like breadcrumbs. Add the water and continue to pulse in short bursts until the mixture just starts to clump together. Don’t be heavy handed here and whizz away or the pastry won’t be nice and crumbly. Turn the pastry out onto a large piece of baking paper. Bring it together with your hands to form a disc and cover with another piece of baking paper. Roll out the dough between the paper into a circle with a diameter of about 35cm. Transfer to a baking tray and chill for at least 10 minutes or until you are ready to cook the tart.
Making the Tart
3 Cups caramelised onions
2 tbsp chopped herbs of your choice (I used parsley and basil but thyme and rosemary would also be great)
250g blue cheese
1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 200°c fanbake. Take your pastry out of the fridge and remove the top sheet of baking paper. Leave at room temperature for up to 10 minutes to soften until the edges can be turned up without breaking off. Spread your caramelised onions onto the pastry evenly leaving about 4cm around the edge. Sprinkle the chopped herbs on top of the onions and crumble over the blue cheese. Gently fold in the edges of the pastry and crimp together. Put the tart in the oven and bake for an initial 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°c and bake for a further 20 minutes. Take the tart out of the oven and sprinkle the walnuts over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a final 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and crispy. Drizzle with some nice peppery extra virgin olive oil before serving if you wish.
This Caramelised Onion Tart is delicious served warm or at room temperature with a fresh green salad.
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