Caramelized Carrot Tarte Tatin
Rediscover my savory version of this classic French dish with this fantastic recipe for caramelized carrot tarte tatin, sure to be a hit with your guests. So tasty and easy to make too!
Table of content
When I posted my Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin recipe on Instagram, it immediately went viral. But many were also a bit confused about eating so much onion, which I understand! This recipe is similar but made with carrots which makes it much friendly to serve and perfect for cold days.
The best way to enjoy it is to serve it with a green salad and a simple Dijon mustard vinaigrette. It’s a great starter for a fancy dinner or simply for a healthy lunch.
Ingredients and alternative
You just need a couple of ingredients to make this delicious savory tarte tatin!
- Puff pastry: I use a store bought flaky buttery puff pastry to save time. You can make your own if you have time or for a quick version, use a homemade quiche crust that you can season with dried thyme.
- Carrots: I use large carrots that I simply cut in two in the length. You can use rainbow carrots for a nice pattern.
- Honey: To help caramelize the carrot. You can replace it with brown sugar.
- Apple cider vinegar: I use it to deglaze the pan and remove the brown bits from the pan to intensify the flavor.
- Butter: I add butter at the end of the cooking of my carrots to enhance the flavor.
- Garlic: I use whole garlic cloves minced. You can use garlic powder as well.
- Thyme: I like to use fresh thyme for this recipe but dried thyme for perfectly too.
- Fresh goat’s cheese: Balances out the sweetness of the carrots. You can use feta cheese instead too.
You will find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
How to make a carrot tarte tatin?
Prepare the carrot. Peel the carrots, remove the ends and cut in the length. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the honey. Place the carrots face down in the pan, trying not to overlap. Sauté for 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
Season. Once the carrots begin to caramelize, deglaze with the apple cider vinegar. Add the minced garlic, thyme and butter and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, until the carrots start to be tender but remain a little crunchy. Season with salt and black pepper.
Assemble. Preheat oven to 180°C fan oven (350 °F). If you use an ovenproof pan, you can simply leave the carrots in the pan. Otherwise, you can transfer them into a tart pan as follow: pour with a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of the pan to prevent the carrots from sticking.
Then arrange the roasted carrots, side by side, face down in a single layer. Fill any gaps by cutting carrots in two if necessary. Crumble the fresh goat cheese on top of the carrots. Cover with the puff pastry, tucking the edges inwards.
Bake and unmould. Bake for 25-30 min until the puff pastry looks deep golden brown. To unmould, run a knife along the edges of the pastry to release it from the tin.
Place a round serving plate larger than the tart on top of the pastry and turn upside-down at once. Remove the tart pan. Let the tart cool for a couple of minutes. Decorate with additional thyme leaves and serve warm with a big green salad.
Géraldine’s Tips
- Carrot: Make sure your carrots are almost cooked but still a bit crunchy before putting them in the tart pan. Season them well at this stage for the best flavor.
- Unmold: Use the tip of a knife to gently loosen the crust from the mould when you remove the tarte tatin. Then, using oven gloves, place a plate over the crust and turn the tart tin upside down. It’s important to turn it over quickly and firmly. Otherwise, the tart may break.
- Slicing: A serrated knife works well for slicing, especially since the tarte tatin can be delicate. Rearrange any wayward carrots before serving.
More carrot recipes
- Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup
- Rainbow Carrots with Thyme and Honey
- Oriental Carrot Salad
- Oven Roasted Carrots with Hummus
FAQ: Caramelized Carrot Tarte Tatin
You can keep this carrot tarte tatin in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat it in the oven or in the air fryer.
Sure, you can freeze leftover portions. However, it’s recommended to serve the tarte tatin fresh from the oven for the best presentation.
Absolutely! Prepare the caramelized carrots up to 24 hours in advance, and when you’re ready to serve, put together and bake the tarte tatin.
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Recipe card
Caramelized Carrot Tarte Tatin
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Ingredients
- 8 oz shortcrust pastry round
- 26 oz carrots
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 6 sprigs thyme or 1 tbsp of dried thyme
- 3,5 oz fresh goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Peel the carrots, remove the ends and cut in the length.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the honey. Place the carrots face down in the pan, trying not to overlap. Sauté for 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Once the carrots begin to caramelize, deglaze with the apple cider vinegar. Add the minced garlic, thyme and butter and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, until the carrots start to be tender but remain a little crunchy. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan oven (350 °F).
- If you use an ovenproof pan, you can simple leave the carrots in the pan. Otherwise, you can transfer them into a tart pan as follow:
- Pour with a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of the pan to prevent the carrots from sticking. Then arrange the roasted carrots, side by side, face down in a single layer. Fill any gaps by cutting carrots in two if necessary.
- Crumble the fresh goat cheese on top of the carrots.
- Cover with the puff pastry, tucking the edges inwards.
- Bake for 25-30 min until the puff pastry looks deep golden brown.
- To unmould, run a knife along the edges of the pastry to release it from the tin. Place a round serving plate larger than the tart on top of the pastry and turn upside-down at once. Remove the tart pan.
- Let the tart cool for a couple of minutes. Decorate with additional thyme leaves and serve warm with a big green salad.
