Caramelised Onion Tartlets With Goats Cheese And Thyme Food

CARAMELIZED VIDALIA ONION AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan and heat until the butter is melted and the oil is shiny. Add the onions, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden in color, about 25 minutes. Add the sherry and thyme and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the goat cheese, half-and-half and lemon zest and juice. Cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the caramelized onions, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the tartlet shells according to the package instructions.
• While the filling is still warm, place a heaping tablespoon into each tartlet shell. Drizzle a pea-size drop of honey on each tartlet and top with a tarragon leaf.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions, sugar, and salt, to taste. Cook until the onions begin to brown. Adjust the heat to low and cook slowly, turning often, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl combine the goat cheese, egg, cream, and thyme. Pour the mixture into a small resealable plastic food storage bag. Snip off a corner of the bag to use it for piping.
• Lay the pie crusts out flat on a clean surface and with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter cut out 12 circles from each crust. Press them into the cups of the mini-muffin tin. Fill each cup 1/2 way with the cooled onions. Pipe the cheese mixture on top of the onions, filling the cups. Bake the tarts until the filling is set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the tarts cool slightly, and then remove them from the muffin tin and serve.

CARAMELISED ONION TARTLETS WITH GOATS' CHEESE AND THYME

Steps:

• First make up the pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the butter. Take a knife and begin to cut it into the flour until it looks fairly evenly blended, then add the Parmesan, mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper, plus about 1½ tablespoons cold water to make a smooth dough, before discarding the knife and bringing it together with your fingertips. Then place the dough in a plastic food bag and put it into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C). After that, roll it out as thinly as possible, use the cutter to stamp out 24 rounds and line the tins with them. (The pastry will stand proud of the rim of the cups to allow for shrinkage.) Then prick the bases and brush with the beaten egg. Now bake on the middle and top shelves of the oven (swapping them over halfway through to ensure even browning) for about 10 minutes, or until the pastry is just cooked through, then cool them on a wire rack. Meanwhile, for the filling, melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the onions very gently, uncovered and stirring often, for about 30 minutes, or until they have turned a lovely golden brown caramel colour. Then leave to cool and set aside until needed. You can also watch how to chop onions in our Cookery School Video on this page. Now whisk the egg with the cream and mustard in a jug and add some seasoning. Next, spoon a little of the onion mixture into each pastry case, spread it out evenly and pour the egg mixture over. Cut each cheese log into 12 thin slices (wiping the knife between slices to cut more cleanly; the cheese is quite soft, so you may have to reshape a few slices into rounds). Place a slice on the top of each tartlet, then top with a sprig of thyme and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden, swapping the tins again halfway through cooking.

CARAMELISED ONION, GOAT CHEESE & THYME TARTS

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 435°F
• Melt half the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook for 25-30 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the sugar, balsamic vinegar, Thyme and Garlic Granules. Leave to cool.
• Melt the remaining butter. Unroll the pastry sheets and cut each one into four. In a patty tin, layer two quarters on top of each other, brushing lightly with butter between the sheets and on top.
• Spoon 1/4 of the onions into the centre and set aside.
• Repeat with the remaining pastry and onions to make 4 tarts. Place a slice of cheese on top of the onions on each tart. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with butter.
• Chill for 30 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cheese is melting. Serve with a few salad leaves.

CARAMELIZED ONION, MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a mandolin or super-sharp knife, cut onion into paper thin slices. Clean and slice the mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and saute until caramelized. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they release all their liquid and most of it boils away, should take about 5 minutes. Combine caramelized onions with mushrooms and saute together briefly; season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat.
• Unfold puff pastry onto a floured surface; cut in half lengthwise to form 2 long rectangles. Gently roll out each rectangle to approximately 5 by 14 inches and place on cookie sheet. Trim edges by 1/4-inch strips all around; set strips aside. Break 1 egg into a small bowl; beat slightly. Brush edges of pastry with some of the egg. Use trimmed strips to make a raised border on each. Brush entire surface with remaining beaten egg. Prick the interior of pastry all over with a fork. Bake until pale gold, about 10 minutes. If pastry has puffed up inside edge, press it down gently. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining eggs with 6 ounces goat cheese and blend until smooth. Spread the mixture onto pastry. Return to oven and bake just until set, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme to the mushroom mixture. Remove cookie sheet from oven and spread with thyme-mushroom mixture. Crumble remaining cheese on top. Just before serving, broil tarts on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tarts are warm and cheese softens.

PANERA GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS WITH CARAMELIZED ONION & FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F
• To caramelize the onions, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add the onions and thyme.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir until the onions are coated.
• Continue cooking, stirring only occasionally, until the onions are a deep amber color.
• Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
• To make the crust, combine bread crumbs, cheese, butter and almonds in a medium bowl of a food processor until combined.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• For the filling, in a seperate bowl, blend the cheeses until smooth.
• Add the zest and the eggs, one at a time, blending until smooth again.
• Then add the heavy cream, blending until smooth.
• Grease mini muffin cups and place in a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
• Press a tablespoon on the crumb mixture evenly into each cup, and then fill two-thirds of the way up with the cheese batter.
• Distribute the caramelized onions evenly atop the filling.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake until the filling has set, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with figs.

ONION & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the pastry into 4 rectangles and place on a baking sheet. Mark a border 1cm in from the edge of the pastry with a sharp knife. Spoon the onions into the middle, smooth then top with the cheese and thyme. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15-20 mins, until the cheese has melted and the pastry has risen and is golden brown.
• For the onions: Makes 600g, which is 3 batches. Prep time 5 mins, cook time 30 mins. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan and stir through the onions. Cover with a lid and cook gently for about 10 mins, until softened. Remove lid, add sugar, then cook 15-20 mins, stirring, until all of the liquid has evaporated and onions have turned golden. Divide into 3 batches to make the recipes, right. Will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

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.