Transforming Pastry Scraps into a Tasty Caramelised Onion Tart – Easy Recipe

This recipe provides a fast take on pissaladière, converting a small amount of leftover pastry into a impromptu treat. Save and gather any scraps into a round mass and re-roll as the need arises. Pastry freezes beautifully in the freezer compartment, and by avoiding two lengthy procedures in the classic method – making the pastry and caramelising the onions – this recipe comes together in nearly half the time. In its place, the onions are cooked upside down, cooking and caramelising below a covering of pastry with salted fish and dark olives for a quick, playful variation on a French classic. Should you have less pastry, you can always cut down the ingredients.

Speedy Flipped Pissaladière Tarts

The recent trend of inverted pastries, which became popular on video platforms and photo-sharing apps a couple of years ago, may have originated with a delicious and easy sweet pastry creation or an creative savory tart that even led to a entire publication on inverted recipes. Personally, I’ve been having a lot of fun with cooking upside down these days, from an extra-long leek tart to these speedy mini French tarts. It’s a simple, fun approach to prepare something that appears extra-special.

Yields 4 individual tarts

• 1 red onion
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Sea salt and peppercorns
• 8 small fillets (or 4, for a less intense taste profile)
• Dark pitted olives, to taste
• 120g pastry sheets – light or shortcrust is suitable too

Heat the oven to 410F/210C. Remove the skin and prepare the onion, then cut into four sizable, circular pieces. Line a hob-appropriate oven sheet with baking paper, then visualize where you will position each slice of onion. Sprinkle those areas with olive oil and sweetener, then add salt and pepper. Place two small fish on top of each flavored area and cover them with a slice of onion. Tuck a few black olives among the onions, then add with a additional oil, honey, seasoning and spice.

Switch on two side-by-side burners to a medium heat, set the pan on top of the rings and allow the onions to simmer without moving for 5 minutes.

At the same time, on a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough and cut it into four squares big enough to cover each piece of onion. Gently put one pastry rectangle on top of each round of onion, seal around the edges with the back of a tool, then heat for a short while, until the crust is browned. Place a serving platter on top of the pastry tray, then turn over to turn the tarts on to the plate. Gently lift off the lining and serve.