Red onion, thyme and goat’s cheese tart
THIS is a delicious vegetarian-style dish that is packed with lots of flavour thanks to the red onions, thyme and lemony goat’s cheese, served on a base of crispy puff pastry with a little salad.
Beat that if you can!
This is a dish which lends itself well to a picnic at Crosby Beach (loving the ‘Another Place’ installation there by Anthony Gormley), or you could take it round to a friend’s house as a bring-your-own supper.
Vegetarians often get the thin end of the wedge. Not at the City of Manchester Stadium, they don’t!
Ingredients
(serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a light lunch)
1 500g pack puff pastry
3 red onions (peeled and finely sliced)
Olive oil
1 tsp sugar
Half teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 125g goat’s cheese log
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 egg yolk (beaten)
1 bag fresh pea shoots (optional)
Method
Place a non-stick pan on the heat and add about two tablespoons of olive oil.
Add the sliced red onions, salt and a good grinding of fresh black peppercorns, then turn the heat to medium so that they sweat without colour (you can also add a little garlic at this stage if you like).
After about 10 minutes the onions should be starting to melt down a little, then add the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat up a little so that the sugar melts and the balsamic starts to thicken a little – give it a good stir.
Remove from the heat and place to one side to cool.
On a floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to the size of your baking sheet (ideally a swiss roll type tin measuring approximately 14” x 10”).
Score a one inch border around the outside to make a frame for the tart (taking care not to cut all the way through the pastry). Spread the now cooled onions over the central part of the tart making sure you go right up to the border area.
Cut the goat’s cheese log in half horizontally, then cut into one centimetre pieces. Arrange the cheese neatly over the top of the onions and then grind black pepper over the top.
Paint the frame of the tart with the egg yolk.
Bake in a hot oven at 200C for about 25 minutes.
Serve hot with a pea shoot salad dressed with a little olive oil, a spray of fresh lemon juice and a side order of new potatoes.
Published: Thu, 18 June, 2009
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