Caramelised Red Onion Pine Nut Tart Recipes

CARAMELISED RED ONION & PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• Lightly brush a 19cm slab pan with a little of the olive oil.
• Preheat your oven to 180°C.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium to high heat.
• Add the onions and cook stirring for 10 minutes or until soft.
• Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to combine.
• Cook stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until the liquid evaporates, and onions caramelise.
• Set aside to cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the eggs, cream and the salt.
• Place the phyllo pastry on a clean surface, and-working very quickly- brush each sheet with a little olive oil and fold in half crossways.
• Place phyllo crossways in pan to line base and 2 opposite sides.
• Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets until all of the base and sides are covered.
• Spread onions over pastry, then the cream mixture, then sprinkle with the nuts.
• Bake the tart, covered with foil in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes or until set.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before cutting into 4 pieces to serve.
• Serve with a salad of green leaves.

CARAMELISED ONION, BACON & CAMEMBERT TART

Steps:

• Set oven to 180c or 350°F.
• Spray 23cm quiche dish. Fold pastry sheets in half lengthways and arrange over the base and sides of the dish. Spray between each layer with cooking oil spray. Trim edges. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Fry onions in butter for 3 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar. Fry for 5 minutes until golden. Drain on paper. Spread onion on pastry, then a layer of Camembert cheese, then bacon.
• Combine eggs, cream and milk. Pour over tart and sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes.

CARAMELISED BALSAMIC AND RED ONION TARTS WITH GOATS' CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
• You will also need eight 3½ inch (9 cm) diameter x 1 inch (2.5 cm) high mini flan tins, greased, and a 5 inch (13 cm) pastry cutter or plate to cut around.
• First make up the pastry by rubbing the butter lightly on to the flour, then adding the cheese, mustard and cayenne plus just enough cold water to make a smooth dough. Then place the dough in a polythene bag to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. After that, roll it out as thinly as possible and use a 5 inch (13 cm) cutter, or a saucer or something similar, to stamp out 8 rounds. Line the greased tins with them, then bake in the oven, centre shelf, for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through but not coloured. Then cool the pastry cases on a wire rack and store them in an airtight tin until they are needed.
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a heavy-based, medium-sized saucepan, stir in the onions, balsamic vinegar and chopped sage, season and let everything cook very gently without a lid, stirring often, for about 30 minutes until they have reduced down and taken on a lovely glazed appearance and all the excess liquid has evaporated away. Then let the mixture cool until you are ready to make the tarts.
• To bake them, brush a little beaten egg on to each pastry case, pop them back into the oven, same temperature as above, for 5 minutes - this helps to provide a seal for the pastry and helps it from becoming soggy. Now spoon the onion mixture into the cases. Top each one with a slice of goats' cheese and a sage leaf that has first been dipped into olive oil. Finally sprinkle with a little cayenne and bake for 20 minutes.