Sweet and tender caramelised onion tart

Onions can be a bit hit and miss. Some people enjoy them, others give them a wide berth. Done right, I think onions are all right.

I was looking for a unique dish for a meat-free meal, and this caramelised onion tart proved just the thing! The onions are the star of this dish, and because they are cooked for such a long time they are so sweet and tender to eat.

There are five ingredients to this dish, which also makes it a bit of a hit. You’re looking at about 20 minutes to get everything together and the oven does the rest.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 230g ready rolled puff pastry, 32cm circle
• 50g unsalted butter
• 4-6 small onions, halved
• 100ml sweet sherry
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, cut into smaller sprigs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan-forced). Unroll pastry onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Prick all over with a fork, then put in the fridge to chill.
2. Melt butter in a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion halves, cut-side up, and fry gently for 10 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise, gently turn them over halfway through. Add sherry and rosemary sprigs, season well, then cover with a lid from another pan or some foil. Transfer to oven for 20 minutes until the onions are soft.
3. Take pastry out of the fridge and drape it over the pan, tucking edges around the softened onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and cool in pan for a few minutes before carefully turning out onto a wooden board or platter.
4. Season and slice to serve.