Upcycling Dough Leftovers into a Tasty Caramelised Onion Tart – Simple Guide
This particular technique offers a quick interpretation on pissaladière, transforming some leftover of leftover pastry into a impromptu snack. Save and gather any trimmings into a round mass and use again as and when required. Pastry keeps well in the icebox, and by omitting two lengthy processes in the classic recipe – making the dough and caramelising the onions – this version comes together much more quickly. Instead, the onions are prepared inverted, steaming and browning beneath a layer of dough with anchovies and black olives for a fast, enjoyable variation on a traditional French dish. Should you have less pastry, you can always halve the recipe.
Speedy Upside-Down Pissaladière Tarts
The recent popularity of upside-down tarts, which went viral on social media and photo-sharing apps a few years back, may have originated with a tasty and simple peach and honey puff pastry or an creative onion tart that even led to a whole book on inverted recipes. Personally, I’ve been having a lot of fun with inverted baking recently, from an elongated savory tart to these speedy small onion tarts. It’s a easy, creative method to prepare something that seems particularly unique.
Produces 4 personal pastries
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 small fillets (or 4, for a subtler taste profile)
- Pitted black olives, to taste
- 120g pastry sheets – flaky or buttery can be used too
Preheat the stove to a hot oven. Strip and prepare the onion, then slice into four sizable, cross-sections. Prepare a hob-appropriate cookie sheet with baking paper, then plan where you will position each slice of onion. Drizzle those areas with oil and sweetener, then add salt and pepper. Lay two small fish on top of each flavored spot and cover them with a piece of onion. Tuck a few dark olives among the onions, then add with a additional fat, sweetener, seasoning and pepper.
Switch on two adjacent hob rings to a medium heat, place the sheet on top of the burners and let the onions to cook without moving for five minutes.
At the same time, on a dusted board, flatten the sheets and cut it into four squares sufficiently sized to top each piece of onion. Precisely place one pastry rectangle on top of each slice of onion, seal on the perimeter with the flat side of a utensil, then cook for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Set a board on top of the baking sheet, then turn over to turn the tarts on to the plate. Carefully lift off the parchment and serve.
