Roasted Red Onion Tart

Well, summer is definitely here – it is officially roasting and so any meals that I can prepare in the cool of the morning are great.  Of course, we will be doing mega barbeques on a regular basis, but sometimes, in the heat, even that feels like too much effort.

So, over a coffee I scour my magazines and recipe books (a regular request is for visitors to bring me a Sainsbury’s magazine!) for different things to make in advance.  This is one of Jamie Oliver’s and is just lovely with a big green salad and asparagus and you can start off by making the pastry case the day before to make it even more effortless.

For the Pastry

250 g plain flour

Half teaspoon of mustard powder

100 g cold butter cut up into cubes

1 large egg beaten

A sprig of rosemary or thyme

Splash of milk

Sea salt

For the filling

2 or three red onions

300 ml double cream

Olive oil

A few sprigs of time (or a pinch of dried)

3 large eggs

75 g Gruyere cheese

25 g pine nuts

50 g rindless goat’s cheese

For the pastry, put the flour, mustard, butter and a pinch of salt into a food processor and whiz up into breadcrumbs.  Add the egg, herb leaves and a little splash of milk and whiz again until combined.  Tip out and wrap in flour dusted cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 c, fan 170, gas mark 5.

Roll out the pastry in a loose bottom flan tin 24 cm in diameter, 3 cm deep.

Prick all over, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge or freezer for 30 mins.

You can leave it at that if you are cooking the next day or are pushed for time.

Cut up the onions into wedges, drizzle over with olive oil, a little sea salt and the thyme leaves.  Scrunch up a piece of baking parchment, run it under the tap to soak, straighten out and place over the onions.  This will stop your onions burning or colour too much.  Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry case from the oven, and line with a large piece of baking paper, fill with baking beans (or just dry ones) and bake for 10 minutes.  Then remove the paper and beans, reduce the oven to 180 c, 160 fan or gas 4.

Put the cream, eggs, gruyere and a pinch of salt and pepper in a boil and mix together.  Tip the onions into the pastry case and then pour over the cream mixture.  Scatter over the pine nuts and crumble over the goat’s cheese.  Toss a few thyme tips in olive oil and scatter over the tart.

Cook for 30-35 minutes or until just set (it will firm up even more when cooled, so don’t be tempted to overdo it!).  As said if you have a pasty case in the freezer it is a very simple and fairly quick supper, and will serve 6 at a push!  It definitely makes a change from meat or fish, and if there are only two or three of you, will stretch to lunch the following day – even better!