Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin
This caramelized onion tarte tatin is a perfect appetizer or it can be served as a main dish with a green salad. To decorate this caramelized onion tarte tatin, I added some thyme and fresh goat cheese.
What is a Tarte Tatin ?
Tarte Tatin is a French classic! It normally describes a sweet dessert made of a buttery puff pastry baked with apples upside down.
But you can make tartes tatin with all kinds of fruits and even savory tarts with vegetables. Baking in tatin style, i.e. under the pastry crust, makes the fruit or vegetables really soft and also enhances their flavours.
List of ingredients
For this onion Tarte Tatin recipe, you only need a few ingredients that can be found easily.
- Shortcrust pastry: See below.
- Onions: I chose simple yellow onions. You can also make this recipe with red onions, shallots or sweet onions.
- Sugar: I chose white sugar. You can replace it with honey or brown sugar.
- Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar will bring a touch of acidity and sweetness to the onions. I recommend a “real” balsamic vinegar from Modena, which has a syrupy consistency and is rich in flavor.
- Butter: Butter will help caramelize the onions. You can choose either regular or salted butter.
- Olive oil: I like to sauté the onions in a mixture of olive oil and butter for an extra touch of flavor.
- Thyme: Thyme goes great with onions. I used fresh thyme sprigs and added it after cooking. You can use dried thyme and add it directly to the onions while cooking.
- Fresh goat cheese: I like to add a little fresh goat cheese to this caramelized onion tart to give the tart a little creaminess.
You will find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
Which pastry should I choose for this onion tarte tatin?
To make this onion tarte tatin, you can use different pastry doughs. Personally, I recommend a shortcrust pastry because it will hold up better in the oven than a puff pastry.
To give a touch of originality to the recipe, I prepared a shortcrust pastry with thyme.
If you don’t have time to prepare your own pastry, you can buy a ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry.
How to make this Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin
PREPARE: Peel the onions and cut them in half. This will create the beautiful circular patterns after baking. You can also cut the onions in thick slice if you prefer.
SAUTÉ: Melt the butter over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sugar and mix well. Place the onions in the pan and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Add a dash of water and simmer for 30-40 minutes on medium-low heat. Turn the onions halfway through cooking.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY: Prepare the shortcrust pastry by mixing the flour, salt, butter, water and dried thyme. Knead briefly and form into a ball. Set aside until needed.
ASSEMBLE: Place onion halves in the bottom of a pan dish, cut side down. Pour the caramel on top. Roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Form a circle as big as your tart dish. Place the pastry dough on top of the onions.
BAKE: Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C (preheated oven, convection).
SERVE: Loosen the edges of the pie crust by running a knife along the tart pan. Place a large serving plate on the pastry crust and flip the tart all at once. Remove the tarte pan. Add crumbled fresh goat cheese and crumble a few sprigs of thyme on top.
More French recipes
- Homemade Croissants
- Ratatouille, traditional recipe
- Healthy and Crispy French Fries
- Vegetarian Hachi Parmentier (vegan option)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long kan I keep this Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin ?
You can keep this savory Tarte Tatin up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can I freeze this Tarte Tatin?
Sure! I recommend to cut the number of desired portions and place them in an airtight container in the freezer. They can keep up to 1 year.
How do I reheat this Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin ?
You can reheat it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, covering it with aluminum foil if necessary to prevent it from blackening. To reheat it quickly, I put it in the microwave and finish with 2 minutes under the broiler.
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Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin
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Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 250 g flour
- 125 g butter unsalted
- 60 ml water
- 3 g salt
- 1 tablespoon thyme dried or fresh
For the tarte tatin
- 1 kg onions
- 30 g butter
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100 g fresh goat cheese or feta
- Fresh thyme
Instructions
PREPARE
- Peel the onions and cut them in half. This will create the beautiful circular patterns after baking. You can also cut the onions in thick slice if you prefer.
SAUTÉ
- Melt the butter over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sugar and mix well. Place the onions in the pan and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Add a dash of water and simmer for 30-40 minutes on medium-low heat. Turn the onions halfway through cooking.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry by mixing the flour, salt, butter, water and dried thyme. Knead briefly and form into a ball. Set aside until needed.
ASSEMBLE
- Place onion halves in the bottom of a pan dish, cut side down. Pour the caramel on top. Roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Form a circle as big as your tart dish. Place the pastry dough on top of the onions.
BAKE
- Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C (preheated oven, convection).
SERVE
- Loosen the edges of the pie crust by running a knife along the tart pan. Place a large serving plate on the pastry crust and flip the tart all at once. Remove the tarte pan. Add crumbled fresh goat cheese and crumble a few sprigs of thyme on top.
