French Onion Upside Down Tart
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
- 4 red onions (around 130g/4.6ozs each)
- 80ml/2.8flozs extra virgin olive oil
- 40ml/1.4flozs balsamic glaze
- Flaked salt
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted in the fridge
- 200g/7ozs sweet chilli or spring onion cream cheese, softened (in the microwave for 10 seconds)
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F fan forced and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Slice each onion in half from top to bottom and peel off the outer skin layers - if there is any thin skin at all remove the entire layer. Cut the base off of the bottom. Place 2 teaspoons of oil on four positions on each baking tray where you will lay the tarts. Drizzle a teaspoon of the balsamic glaze on top of the oil and then sprinkle generously with salt and add a sprig of thyme. Place the onion half cut side down.
Step 2 - Cut each pastry sheet into four and spread with the softened cream cheese leaving a 1cm/0.4inch border around the edge. Place the pastry on top cream cheese side down and press around the edges. It may not totally stick against the parchment but you want to get a nice "cupping" shape around the onion. Brush with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until the dome of the pastry is golden and matches the edges.
Step 3 - Remove from oven and cool on the tray for 1 minute. Using a spatula gently flip the tart over and if it needs it, bake it onion side up for another 5 minutes. Serve warm. These tarts also reheat well if you want to make these a few hours ahead of time. I heat them in a 150C/300F for 10 minutes.