Tomato and Feta Tatin
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 60 min
- Serving: 4 persone
- Cost: Low
- Note plus 40 minutes of dough resting time
PRESENTATION
The tomato and feta tatin is a savory version of the traditional fruit tarte tatin.
The recipe follows the same procedure as the classic tarte tatin: you prepare the shortcrust pastry that will cover the filling made with cherry tomatoes cooked in a pan and flavored with garlic, thyme, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. The preparation is then baked in the oven, resulting in a crispy shell.
The presence of brown sugar not only adds a sweet note to the tomatoes but also allows the tatin surface to caramelize during baking.
The tomato and feta tatin is a tasty dish with Mediterranean flavors, to be enjoyed hot or warm as an appetizer or as a delightful second course, and it can also be served at a buffet cut into single-serving slices, and it's good even the next day!
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry (for a 34 cm tatin)
- Butter ½ cup (100 g)
- Type 00 flour 1.6 cups (200 g)
- Water (70 ml)
- For the filling
- Cherry tomatoes 1 lb (450 g)
- Feta cheese 1.8 oz (50 g)
- Stale bread 1 oz (30 g) - crumb
- Thyme 4 sprigs
- Extra virgin olive oil 4 spoonfuls
- Balsamic vinegar 3 spoonfuls
- Raw cane sugar 2 spoonfuls
- Oregano 1 spoonful - dry
- Garlic 1 clove
- Black pepper to taste
- Fine salt to taste
How to prepare Tomato and Feta Tatin
To make the tomato and feta tatin, start by preparing the shortcrust pastry according to the procedure indicated here(Shortcrust Pastry). Place the sifted flour and diced butter in a food processor 1, blend until you get a sandy-looking mixture. Place the mixture in a bowl and knead quickly by adding a little cold water at a time 2 until you get a compact, firm, and fairly elastic dough 3, then transfer the dough onto a pastry board to form a dough ball.
Wrap the shortcrust pastry dough in a sheet of plastic wrap 4 and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes. In the meantime, take care of the filling: remove the cherry tomatoes from the stems and rinse them under fresh running water 5. Cut the tomatoes in half (crosswise to the stem to facilitate the removal of the seeds) 6
and squeeze them to remove the seeds and juice 7. Strain the juice to retain the seeds 8, keep it aside, it will be used for cooking the cherry tomatoes. Take a 9.5-inch diameter pan suitable for oven use, finely chop the garlic and sauté it in the pan with 3-4 tablespoons of oil, add the thyme 9 and cook for a couple of minutes over very low heat.
Place the cherry tomatoes in the pan with the cut side facing up 10, close to each other to cover the entire surface of the pan, in a concentric circle pattern. Season the tomatoes carefully by distributing the seasonings on each tomato: then add a pinch of salt, brown sugar 11, balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze) 12, pepper, and oregano, then add the reserved tomato juice and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. (If the tomatoes release too much water, you can avoid adding the tomato juice). Shake the pan occasionally, being careful not to overturn the cherry tomatoes.
Cut the feta into cubes 13 and the bread crumbs into pieces 14 and crumble them by hand. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the cherry tomatoes with the bread crumbs 15
and with the feta 16. Take the shortcrust pastry, roll it out 17 with a rolling pin into a sheet large enough to cover the surface of the pan (about 10.2 inches) and place it on the pan 18, completely covering the tomatoes (to avoid breaking the dough, you can roll the sheet onto the rolling pin and then unroll it onto the pan).
Form an edge by pressing the sides of the dough with your fingers 19. Bake the tomato and feta tatin in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 30 minutes (or in a ventilated oven at 320°F for 20-25 minutes). Once baking is done 20, let the tatin cool for about 10 minutes (no longer, otherwise, as it cools, the bottom will stick to the pan) and flip it onto a serving plate 21. Your tomato and feta tatin is ready to be served.