Indulge in these fabulously buttery and crisp shallot tatins, perfectly complemented by creamy goat's cheese. Each bite offers a delightful blend of sweet caramelised shallots and tangy cheese, with the added goodness of tomatoes, which are rich in antioxidants like lycopene.
fresh, leaves stripped
small leaves, to garnish
large, fresh
cut into small dice
thawed if frozen
ripe log, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to fan 90C/conventional 110C/gas ÂĽ. Halve the plum tomatoes lengthways and place, cut-side up, in a small shallow roasting tin. Drizzle over 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil, then scatter with the thyme leaves and some salt and black pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes until the tomatoes soften a little but still hold a good shape. Remove and cool, spooning over some of the roasting juices.
While the tomatoes are roasting, blanch the shallots in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and cool under cold running water. Peel off the skins and trim the root ends. Also peel off any tough inner skins and cut any larger shallots in half so they are all roughly the same size.
Heat all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the shallots, stirring to coat. Sauté over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until they become tender and begin to turn mid-golden in colour. Add the rosemary, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Sprinkle the golden caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into a smaller frying pan and leave to stand for about 3 minutes. Put the pan over a low heat, shaking occasionally to mix the melting sugar and stirring gently. When all the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and cook to mid-golden brown.
Remove the caramel from the heat and mix in the butter, then the balsamic vinegar. Take care as this might spit a bit – you should be left with a nice syrup. Toss in the shallots and tomatoes and stir lightly to coat.
Stand eight 150ml ramekins on a metal baking sheet. Drain the shallots and tomatoes in a colander, saving the syrup, then divide them between the ramekins and set aside to cool.
Cut the puff pastry into 4 oblong pieces on a lightly floured board. Roll out each one very thinly, then cut out two 9-10cm discs from each piece (the discs should be about 1cm larger than the diameter of the ramekins). Pick each piece up and press the edges gently between your fingertips to make the pastry thinner. Do not prick. Lay a pastry disc on top of each ramekin, then tuck the edges of the pastry down inside, between the tomatoes and shallots and the sides of the dishes, using the handle of a teaspoon to help. Press down lightly. The tarts can now be chilled for up to 24 hours until ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the pastry tops are crisp and mid-brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes (the sugar will be very hot otherwise). Meanwhile, gently reheat the reserved syrup from the tomatoes and shallots with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Loosen the pastry edges with a small knife and carefully upend each ramekin on to a small plate. Cut the goat’s cheese into 8 thin slices (discarding the rind ends), dipping your knife into a cup of hot water in between each slice. Put one slice on top of each tatin, drizzle over the warm syrup and garnish with little basil leaves. Serve warm.
For best results, use the smallest shallots you can find, or ensure larger ones are halved to maintain uniform size for even cooking.
The tatins can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and chilled before baking, making them perfect for entertaining.
Ensure the goat's cheese is at room temperature for easier slicing and a creamier texture when placed on the warm tatins.