Scrumptious brie, pear and onion tart

Got some cheese leftover from the festive season? Use it to make this scrumptious brie, pear and onion tart.

The pear and cheese are perfect partners. You can also substitute the pear for apple.

You can serve this dish hot or cold.

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

• 320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, defrosted at room temperature if frozen
• 1 tbsp olive or canola oil, plus a drizzle
• 3 large onions, halved and sliced
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, plus a splash
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Small bunch of thyme, leaves picked, plus a few sprigs to serve
• 1 pear
• 100g cranberry sauce (or chutney)
• 175g brie, sliced (or other cheese)

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a large baking tray (leave it on the paper from the pack). Score a border, about 1cm in from the edge. Score a criss-cross pattern over the central piece of pastry (this will prevent it from rising too much) and around the border. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan. Add onions and cook for 10-15 minutes until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in vinegar, bubble for 1 minute more, then add Dijon mustard and thyme, season well and set aside.
3. Slice pear thinly through the core so a few slices have a nice star in the middle, and remove any seeds. Toss slices in a splash of vinegar to prevent them from browning.
4. The pastry should be puffed and starting to colour. Push down the centre, then spread over onions. Add blobs of cranberry sauce, then top with pear slices and brie, overlapping them to cover the tart. Add a few more thyme sprigs, drizzle with a little oil, then put back in the oven for a further 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the pear slices are soft.
5. Serve warm or cold.