shallot tarte tatin
Caramelised onions are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I think the smell takes me back to my childhood and going to football matches with my dad, the smell of cooking onions pumping out of the burger vans that line the streets to the stadiums. As I’ve grown up, I think I’ve got a little fancier with my onions, but the sweet, sticky taste always has a little nostalgia attached to it.
This tarte tatin is an absolute delight. I think it’s key to caramelise the tops of the shallots to the point of being almost burnt, to add a little bitterness to the sweet caramel that you’ll be adding. You can also top this with a little goats cheese, it really wouldn’t go amiss.
This recipe is inspired by the tarte tatin that is served at Kudu in Peckham, London. This is my interpretation, but the process and idea is all theirs.
for the tatin
8 shallots
100g white sugar
25ml water
a splash of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp assorted spices
50g salted butter
puff pastry (enough to cut a circle the size of your tin/bowl)
a little vegetable oil
salt & pepper
method
Start by chopping the ends off the shallots, then slicing in half lengthways. Keep the outer skins on them at this point.
Season them with a pinch of salt.
Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a frying pan and wait until it reaches a high heat.
Place the shallots into the oil, open side down, and cook until they go dark and caramelised. You aren’t looking to cook them through, but you do want the bottom to become a nice dark colour.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Put the pan to one side as you will use it for your caramel.
Now, preheat your oven to 190c. Get your baking tin or shallow oven-proof bowl and use it to cut a piece of pastry to the same size. Keep the pastry in the fridge and then roughly line your tin/bowl with parchment paper.
Get the pan you cooked the shallots in and bring it back to a high heat. Add the sugar, water, and a pinch of salt, and swirl around to incorporate (do not stir with a spoon).
Swirl it every so often until it has reduced to a nice dark caramel. Add your balsamic to deglaze, then add the assorted spices (I like some cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sweet paprika) and the butter, swirling to incorporate it all together.
Once your butter has fully melted and combined with the caramel, spoon the mix into the bottom of your lined tin/bowl until it is completely covered.
Pick up a shallot half, peel away the skin, then lay (caramelised side down) into the caramel sauce you’ve made. Do this until all the shallots pieces are layered into the tin/bowl.
Take your pastry circle and place it on top of the shallots. Push the edges down around the shallots, bringing everything tightly together in the middle. Give. the pastry a few stabs with a sharp knife, to create some air vents for steam.
Back this at 190c for 20 minutes, until the top of the pastry is golden and the sauce is bubbling up.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin/bowl.
Once cool, put a plate upside down on top of the tart, and then flip the tart onto the plate. Remove the paper and admire your work.
Feel free to top with some greens, a little goats cheese, or whatever tickles your fancy.
See below for photos of how to build the tatin.
