Indulgent Shallot Tart Food

SHALLOT TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Put the shallots in a large bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave for 5 mins, then drain and peel. Cut the shallots in half (some will naturally break into two sections).
• Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fry gently for 10 mins, until they are softened and lightly browned. Stir in the vinegar, thyme and 1 tbsp water, then cook for a further 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and tip into a non-stick shallow cake or pie tin, about 20cm across. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut the pastry into two. Roll out each piece to about 5cm larger than the top of the cake tin. Put one piece of pastry over the shallots. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and cover with the second piece. Trim the edges of the pastry to a little larger than the tin, then tuck the edges of the pastry down the sides of the tin.
• Bake for 25-30 mins, until pastry is crisp and golden. Leave to cool in tin for 5 mins, turn out onto a flat plate, cut into wedges and serve warm.

ROASTED CARROT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a gently floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the chilled Pie Dough to a circle about 15 to 16 inches in diameter. Trim it to form an even 14-inch circle. Invert a sheet pan so the flat, bottom side is facing up. Lifting the parchment paper to lift the tart dough, transfer it to the sheet pan. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• In a small bowl, combine the softened chevre, egg yolk, heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and stir until smooth. Set aside.
• Cut the carrots, diagonally, into chunks about 2 to 3 inches in length and no wider than 1 inch, and transfer to a large bowl. Slice each onion half into 1/2-inch wide fans and add to the bowl. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and set aside.
• Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator, and using the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread the cheese mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Use your fingers to gently crimp the edges of the dough, creating a pleated freeform crust. Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the tart, making sure they are in one even layer that covers the cheese mixture beneath.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Brush the tart edges with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are deeply caramelized and the crust is a rich golden color, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool slightly. Place the chicory leaves in a medium bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice, and toss gently. Sprinkle the herbs over the tart and arrange the chicory leaves on top, leaving a bit of the tart edges peeking through. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and serve.
• Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse twice more, until the butter is in medium-sized pieces. Steadily pour the ice water into the machine while pulsing it as quickly as you can, until the butter is still visible in large smears and the dough is pushing up the sides of the bowl. It should look like damp bread crumbs. (You may not need to add all the water.)
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough will continue to hydrate, but if it still feels powdery and dry, wet your fingertips and flick a little cold water onto the crumbs.) After 1 hour, gently press the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour more before rolling out.

SHALLOT AND GARLIC TARTE TATIN WITH PARMESAN PASTRY

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry into a rectangle and spread the butter over it, leaving a 2.5 cm border.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Fold the bottom third of the pastry up to cover the middle and fold the top third down. Seal the edges, give a quarter turn and roll out a rectangle, then fold as before. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a 23-25 cm round heavy pan (with a lid) that is also suitable for placing in the oven. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook until lightly browned all over.
• Scatter the sugar over the top of the shallots and garlic, slightly increase the heat, cook until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turn the shallots and garlic in the pan.
• Add the vinegar, water, thyme and seasonings.
• Cook, with the pan partly-covered, for 6-8 minutes, until the garlic cloves are just tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow the pan and its contents to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF).
• Roll out the pastry to the diameter of the pan and lay it over the cooled shallots and garlic.
• Prick the pastry with a sharp knife, then bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry has risen and is golden.
• Set the pan aside for 5-10 minutes to cool, then invert the tart onto a serving platter.
• Scatter the tart with a few thyme sprigs and serve.

SHALLOT TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Peel shallots and trim them so they are all the same length. This is vital as it ensures they all cook in the same time.
• Add the sugar to a baking tin about 9" in diameter (or a tarte tatin tin if you have one. Heat on the hob until the sugar melts and caramelises (looks nut brown). DO NOT STIR the sugar, just shake the tin to make sure that it all melts evenly.
• Carefully add the shallots (caramel can cause very nasty burns).
• Strip the leaves from the thyme and add to the shallots.
• Roll out the pastry and cut a rough circle just larger than the size of tin you are using. Lay it over the shallots and tuck in around the sides.
• Add to a preheated 200 degrees C oven for around 25 minutes or until the pastry looks done.
• Enjoy!