From Nigel's Kitchen Table
Caramelised Onion & Goats Cheese Tart
A buttery tart layered with sweet caramelised onions, aubergine, tomatoes and tangy goat’s cheese.
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This caramelised onion and goats cheese tart is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. A delicious buttery crust, with layers of caramelised onions, grilled aubergines, tomatoes and goats cheese.
This is an adaption of a tart I used to make back when I worked for the Roux brothers. Customers loved them and they often sold out very quickly. And just like my kitchen, yours will indeed smell amazing from the caramelised onions!
It can be made into tartlets or one big tart. Perfect served as an appetizer or for gatherings. They can also be made into canapes, serving on toasted bread instead of the pastry.
I use my home-made shortcrust pastry for this recipe which is super easy and adds that delicious buttery crust to the tart. Alternatively, if you are tight for time, you could use a shop-bought one or even puff pastry, but the homemade version tastes so much better and it’s so simple to prepare.
CONTENTS
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- EASE: easy.
- FREE FROM: this recipe is nut-free.
- TASTE & TEXTURE: a delicious buttery crust, with a sweet and savoury filling, topped with goats cheese and olive tapenade.
- SERVING: goes great with a side salad.
INGREDIENTS
For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:
- Shortcrust pastry – is the perfect shell for this delicious filling.
- Olive oil – is used to stop the onions and aubergines from sticking while cooking.
- Yellow onions – are ideal for making the caramelised onions. Alternatively, try red onions.
- Aubergine – (optional) helps to add another savory element to this sweet tart.
- Tomatoes – are a perfect complement to our caramelised onions.
- Goat cheese – adds a tangy saltiness to the tart which balances the sweetness.
- Black olive tapenade – just like the goat’s cheese adds more saltiness to balance the sweetness of the onions.
- Salt – I highly recommend adding salt to your doughs and pastry. Salt helps balance out the sweetness and richness. It also elevates the other ingredients, bringing out the best characteristics of any recipe. I recommend using sea salt, Maldon Sea salt flakes or Cornish sea salt.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
You can try alternative cheeses. For the large tart I used mozzarella instead of goat’s cheese, it works great, although I find the goats cheese has that salty tang that cuts through the sweet caramelised onion. Feta is another delicious option.
This tart also tastes great with a sprinkling of pinenuts instead of olive tapenade.
Nutrition
Serving: one slice
339.2 kcal
CALORIES · 17% DV
22.37 g
TOTAL FAT · 32% DV
29.04 g
CARBOHYDRATES · 11% DV
1.49 g
SUGARS · 2% DV
6.11 g
PROTEIN · 12% DV
243.95 mg
SODIUM · 12% DV
3.44 g
FIBRE · 12% DV
% Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
This tart will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge and can be eaten cold or warm. I just place it in a pre-heated oven for a few minutes before serving.
Freezing: The pastry can be made ahead and frozen, but I do not recommend freezing the finished tart.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Here is a list of some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.
I like to use this type of pan for pies that I am going to serve out of the tin on a plate.
These fluted mini tins are great for making individual portions.
- Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet – 38 cm
- OXO Good Grips 30cm / 12″ Frying Pan Skillet with Lid, 3-Layered German Engineered Nonstick Coating, Stainless Steel Handle with Nonslip Silicone, Black
The first option is a classic cast iron skillet and the second is a really good quality non-stick pan that works really well.
RECIPE TIPS
To avoid the pastry shrinking, make sure to rest the dough well or even make ahead of time.
For the caramelised onions, slice the onions 3-4mm (1/8inch) thick. If you cut them any thinner, they will not hold their structure and become mushy.
Plus, don’t turn the heat up too high, it’s a slow process. Trying to speed it up will result in burning the onions rather than allowing the natural sugars in the onions to caramelise. Be patient 🙂
The best type of goat’s cheese is one that is firm. I like to buy a goat’s cheese log and slice it into nice 6mm (1/4inch) rounds. Cubes of feta and slices of mozzarella also work well.
If you can’t find tapenade in the shops, simply chop or puree some whole black olives using a stick blender. They add a delicious saltiness to the finished tart.
Caramelised Onion & Goats Cheese Tart
- 23cm round tart pan
INGREDIENTS LIST
Shortcrust pastry
- 250 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 125 g butter (diced)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium egg (or two egg yolks)
- 2-3 tbsp water (40ml cold)
Tart ingredients
- 6 tbsp olive oil (or neutral oil)
- 1 kg yellow onions
- 1 large aubergine (approx. 300g – sliced into rounds)
- 2-3 tomatoes (approx. 200g – sliced into rounds)
- 120 g goats cheese log (or mozzarella)
- 2 tbsp black olive tapenade (or whole olives – pureed)
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- basil leaves for decoration
Preparation
- For this recipe I am going to make it as a large tart, but it is just as easy to make it into smaller tartlets.
- Shortcrust pastry: Make the pastry and roll it out to fit your tart tin. Place in the freezer to rest.
- Caramelised onions: Slice the onions 3-4mm (1/8") thick .
- In a large frying pan with a lid, heat 3-4 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and cook covered for 20 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. The lid will create steam helping to breakdown the onions more evenly.
- Remove the lid and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking without the lid, for another 15-20 minutes or until the onions are golden and caramelized, stirring occasionally to avoid over browning.
- Aubergine: Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into round slices and brush with some olive oil and season. Griddle, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until tender. Leave to cool on a plate.
- Remove the pastry tin from the freezer and blind bake for 20 minutes, Remove the parchment paper with the baking beans and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is pale, but not quite golden in colour.
- Preheat the grill.
- Assembly: Pour the caramelised onions into the tart shell, top with the griddled aubergines and sliced tomatoes.
- Slice the goats cheese into round slices and arrange over the tomatoes. Place under a hot grill for 5 minutes to melt the cheese (optional).
- Spoon dollops of tapenade over the tart and decorate with basil leaves.
- Enjoy warm or cold on its own or with a salad.
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS
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