Endive and Brie Tarte Tatin
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This is one of my favorite way to cook with endives: this Tarte Tatin with caramelized endives and Brie! Caramelizing the endives with honey and balsamic vinegar, then baking them Tatin-style, completely softens their bitterness. For a creamy touch, I like to add Brie cheese. This is delicious ! So here’s my recipe for Endive and Brie Tarte Tatin.
In this Article
If there’s one dish I love making for weeknight meals, it’s savory tarts Tatin. It’s a nice option for a vegetarian meal, and, above all, super versatlile: in winter, I like to make my Leek Tarte Tatin or the one with Caramelized Carrots, and in summer, I’ll go for a Zucchini tarte Tatin with some Burrata cheese on top. For more ideas, here are my 7 savoury tarte tatin recipes !
This endive version is perfect for winter! I serve it either as a starter or as a main course with a green salad and soup to go with it!
Endive and Brie Tarte Tatin: The Key Ingredients
You’ll see, you don’t need many ingredients for this Endive Tatin. And what’s more, it’s a pretty budget-friendly recipe:
- Shortcrust pastry: I like to make my homemade shortcrust pastry and I add some dried thyme or herbes de Provence to flavor it and balance out the strong taste of the endives. Alternatively, you can use store-bought shortcrust or puff pastry.
- Endives: Choose endives of the same size if possible. Count between 4 and 5 pieces. It’s best to plan for a few more, as they tend to shrink during baking!
- Brie: The cheese adds a creamy touch and softens the bitterness of the endives. I choose Brie cheese because it’s fairly neutral, but you can also try Camembert or even your favorite grated cheese.
- Balsamic vinegar: I always choose Modena balsamic vinegar, as it is much more intense in taste and quite syrupy. If you use classic balsamic vinegar, reduce the quantities a little to avoid it being too sour.
- Honey: It’s super important for softening the bitterness of endives. Even if you’re not very “sweet and sour”, I assure you, you won’t really taste it!
You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
5 Tips for a Bitter-Free Endive Tarte Tatin!
If you’re still hesitating to make this recipe because of the natural bitterness of endives (I know it’s the feedback I get most often!), here are my secrets for a smooth result:
- Brown the endives. First, brown the endives well in your pan before adding the sauce to start the caramelization process.
- Let them braise gently: Once golden on one side, pour the balsamic vinegar and honey sauce, and let them cook over medium heat. This is called braising. The endives will cook in the sauce and become nice and soft.
- Adjust the sugar/acid balance: At this stage, don’t hesitate to taste the juice! Add a little honey if it’s still too bitter, or a dash of vinegar if it’s too flat. Or salt, which is also an excellent bitterness corrector.
- Walnuts and thyme: I always add walnuts and fresh thyme on top of the baked tart just before serving. It’s not just for decoration, but it really does add a little sweetness (especially the walnuts) that goes well with the endives.
- Sides: Serve this Endive Tatin with a mild dish such as a carrot-based soup (see my Crécy soup or my Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup), or a simple Grated Carrot Salad.
👉 Recipe card
Endive and Brie Tarte Tatin
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Equipment
- 1 11-inch (28 cm) tart pan
Ingredients
- 1 shortcrust pastry rolled out to a 12-inch circle
- 4 -5 endives depending on size
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar of Modena 30 ml
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus an extra drizzle for the pan
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 9 oz Brie cheese 250 g, or Camembert cheese, cut into thick strips
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Garnish
- 1 handful of walnuts chopped
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) if using the convection (fan) setting, or 375°F (190°C) for a conventional oven.
- Roll out the homemade shortcrust pastry into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle.
- Cut endives in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place endives, cut side down, and cook for 5 minutes, until they begin to brown.
- Pour in the sauce, lower the heat slightly and cook the endives until they melt. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Once the endives are pre-cooked, place them in the bottom of the tart tin, cut side down. Add the Brie cheese on top.
- Cover with the shortcrust pastry, tucking the edges inwards. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- When the pastry is golden brown, remove the tarte Tatin from the oven. Immediately run the blade of a knife along the edges of the plan . Place a large plate on top of the tart and flip it in a quick movement.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and walnuts. Serve immediately with a green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
3 Ideas for Varying the Endives Tarte Tatin
If you feel like changing this recipe a little, here are three ideas:
- Goat’s cheese (or feta) version: Replace the Brie cheese with slices of goat’s cheese or even crumbled feta.
- The orange version: For a more tangy, fragrant touch, replace the balsamic vinegar with orange juice and zest.
- Bacon (Lardons): If you aren’t strictly vegetarian, try adding some smoked bacon, specifically thick-cut lardons. Brown them in the pan alongside the endives.
FAQ – Endive Tart Tatin
The secret is to let the endives cook thoroughly so that they release as much juice as possible before placing them in the pie dish. If the endives still release too much water into the tin, don’t hesitate to blot a little with kitchen paper before placing the pastry.
I typically use a classic 11-inch (28 cm) glass tart pan. You can use almost any tart or cake pan, it must just be one solid piece. Avoid using a springform pan or anything with a removable bottom. If there are any gaps, the cooking liquid will leak straight out and it will be a mess in your oven!
To avoid bitterness from the start, choose firm endives with tightly packed leaves and pale yellow tips (avoid those that are too green). The more endive is exposed to light, the more bitter it becomes!
Yes, it’s possible and it’s very pretty! Just note that red endive loses some of its bright color when cooked and becomes duller.
To accompany the bitterness of the endive and the fat of the brie, I recommend a dry, full-bodied white wine. You can choose a Loire Valley wine, such as a Vouvray or Chenin Blanc. Pinot Gris from Alsace is also a great match! If you prefer red, go for a very light, fruity wine like a Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, so as not to overpower the flavors of endive.
It would be nice to have US equivalents to the metrics measures offered in this recipe. Hoping that I was able to recalculate accurately.
Hi Sassy,
I just added the US equivalents to the metric measures 🙂 Hope it is not too late!
Géraldine
Thank you very much! I plan to make it for Christmas Eve brunch! Looks so beautiful and simple to make.
You’re welcome! Let me know how it was and don’t hesitate to leave a note if you like it 🙂
I wish you a Merry Christmas!
Géraldine