Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Caramelised onion and goat cheese tart

Serves: 8

Notes

The pastry should always be homemade. I include a little grated lemon rind in a basic short crust pastry. I process the pastry in a food processor, but it may be made by hand, as below. The pastry case is blind-baked, then filled with a goat cheese and caramelised onion mixture. Cheats may care to use a bought pastry or pastry case and save themselves heaps of time.

Ingredients

For Pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 100g cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg (61g)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cold water (or more if necessary)
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon rind (optional)

For Filling:

• 2 large brown onions
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 large eggs
• 500g cream
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• ½ tsp finely chopped sage leaves or dill (optional)
• 100g goat cheese

Method

For Pastry:

Pre-heat oven to 190C. Put flour in large mixing bowl. Make well in the centre. Add other ingredients – except the water. Using the fingers, rub the butter pieces with the egg and gradually merge in the flour, a little at a time. When ingredients are merged, add cold water. Knead the dough gently for a minute or so. Do not overwork. (If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more water.) Shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. By food processor: Put all pastry ingredients in food processor. Process quickly. Remove. Shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prepare a 24/25cm tart tin or flan dish (preferably fluted). A tin with a removable base is ideal. Smear with butter or oil. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and put into the tin/dish, pressing up the sides. Fold in excess from the edge and pinch into the pastry wall. Prick the base all over with a fork. Put a circular piece of baking paper onto the base. Fill with dried beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon out beans/rice, put base back in the oven and allow to cook a further five or six minutes, until starting to brown. Remove and fill

For Filling:

Cut the onion into ½cm rings and cook in butter until well-cooked and browned. Whisk the other ingredients together – except the goat cheese. Put onion in base of the tart, pour over egg/cream mixture. Crumble in goat cheese. Bake tart in the oven at 190C for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on container (cooking with be quicker when using a baking tin and/or a fan forced oven.) Top of tart should be firm and golden brown. Allow to cool a little before serving warm – or serve cold.