Upcycling Pastry Leftovers into a Delicious Caramelised Onion Tart – Simple Recipe
This recipe presents a fast version on pissaladière, converting some leftover of leftover pastry into a spontaneous snack. Keep and combine any scraps into a lump and re-roll whenever needed. Dough keeps well in the freezer, and by avoiding two time-consuming processes in the traditional recipe – making the dough and caramelizing the onions – this dish is ready about an hour faster. Instead, the onions are prepared upside down, softening and caramelising below a covering of dough with small fish and brined olives for a fast, playful twist on a traditional French dish. Should you have less pastry, you can always halve the recipe.
Quick Upside-Down Pissaladière Tarts
The current popularity of flipped tarts, which went viral on video platforms and photo-sharing apps a few years back, may have begun with a tasty and easy peach and honey puff pastry or an creative pastry dish that even inspired a complete guide on upside-down cooking. Personally, I’ve been having a lot of fun with flipped preparations these days, from an elongated savory tart to these speedy small onion tarts. It’s a simple, fun method to create something that seems extra-special.
Produces 4 individual tarts
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 anchovies (or 4, for a subtler flavor)
- Pitted black olives, to taste
- 120g pastry sheets – flaky or shortcrust works as well
Warm up the stove to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Remove the skin and clean the onion, then cut into four sizable, round slices. Prepare a hob-appropriate baking tray with parchment, then visualize where you will place each piece of onion. Sprinkle those spots with cooking oil and sweetener, then flavor. Place two small fish on top of each prepared area and top them with a round of onion. Arrange a few olives among the onions, then add with a additional fat, nectar, seasoning and pepper.
Switch on two side-by-side hob rings to a medium heat, put the sheet on top of the burners and allow the onions to simmer untouched for five minutes.
In the meantime, on a dusted counter, spread the sheets and trim it into four squares big enough to cover each slice of onion. Carefully put one pastry square on top of each round of onion, flatten on the perimeter with the flat side of a tool, then heat for twenty minutes, until the crust is crispy. Lay a board on top of the hot pan, then turn over to turn the tarts on to the surface. Gently lift off the paper and enjoy.
