This vegetarian puff pastry tart with caramelised red onions, grated cheese, thyme, honey and mustard dressing is perfect as a main dish for lunch or dinner or as a side dish to take to picnics, bbq’s and parties.
I made this tart a few weeks ago and it was an instant hit with my husband. This came as a surprise because I never thought a simple tart of basically just cheese and onions could be so tasty. Really all the ingredients work perfectly together: the fiery flavour of the mustard, only slightly dulled by the honey, the nuttiness of the cheese, the sweetness of the caramelised red onions, and finally the earthy taste of the thyme.
To make this tart you need to follow a tarte tatin method: the ingredients are cooked in a cast iron skillet (or ovenproof frying pan), then baked it in the oven until golden brown. Finally, the tart is inverted on a plate to serve.
You can replace the Grana Padano with a different cheese as long as it is mature enough to grate but also has enough moisture content to melt while baking. A few options are Gruyère, Beaufort, Comté, and mature cheddar.
And you absolutely don’t need to make the pastry from scratch, unless you want to. I regularly use ready rolled puff pastry from the supermarket to make savoury tarts. Some of my all time favourites are: Asparagus, almond and Grana Padano tarts; Sweet potato, gruyère and rosemary tart.
This Red Onion and Cheese Tart is of course vegetarian, though it is not vegan because of the butter and cheese. You can prepare this tart a day before serving – I personally think that all tarts taste better the next day. Serve as a main dish with a side of salad or green vegetables.
Ingredients
- 320g (1 pack) ready-rolled puff pastry
- 4-6 small red onions, peeled and quartered
- 150g Grana Padano cheese, grated
- 30g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- thyme leaves
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Prepare the pastry by cutting the ready rolled sheet into a large circle slightly. It should be bigger than the pan you are going to use (a 20cm cask iron skillet is recommended). Keep the pastry in the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan.
Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the dried thyme, honey and mustard to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Arrange the red onion quarters in the pan, fitting as many in as possible. Caramelise them over a gentle heat until tender, for 8-10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the stove.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the onions and cover with the circle of puff pastry. Gently tuck the edges of the pastry around the onions.
Place the skillet in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before inverting on a plate. Slice into individual slices and garnish with some thyme leaves.
Recipe adapted from Maille website. This is not a sponsored post.
