Onion Tarte Tatin
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Low
- Note + 40 min. for the dough to rest
PRESENTATION
So here's the deal: This onion tarte tatin takes the classic French upside-down tart and gives it a savory twist. You know, instead of apples, you've got a heap of caramelized onions. They're cooked with brown sugar till they’re sweet, tender, and yeah, a bit tangy—really, really tasty. This flavor combo, agrodolce, is a hit across various French regions. Some versions even sneak in a splash of tomato sauce or a layer of Gruyère cheese in the dough. Really shows how adaptable French recipes are, based on whatever's on hand.
And look, it's built right in a skillet and then flipped—so those golden onions? Totally on top. Makes it look super fancy with barely any effort. Call it a caramelized onion tart, savory tarte tatin, or just a seriously good snack. Whatever works. Perfect for French-inspired gatherings.
Thing is, for parties or get-togethers, this savory tarte tatin is usually cut into small pieces. Pretty much like French buffet style. Easy to handle, and it always draws a crowd. The combo of moist, sticky onions and flaky puff pastry tart is super, super good. Some folks add a strong cheese, which melts and goes crispy on the edges—sounds amazing, right? Or maybe a bit of tomato sauce for extra color and flavor.
And listen, the aroma of those slowly cooked onions? Fills the whole kitchen. Makes it tough to wait till it cools enough to slice. The beauty is in tweaking the onion tart recipe—use shallots for a milder taste, or pile on the cheese for extra richness. No question, this French onion tart is all about those deep, sweet, and tangy flavors wrapped in a golden, buttery crust. Perfect as a starter or even a main dish with a salad. Seriously, can't go wrong.
You might also like:
INGREDIENTS
- for the shortcrust pastry
- Type 00 flour 1.6 cups (200 g)
- Butter 7 tbsp (100 g)
- Water 70 - chilled
- for the filling
- Red onions 6 - small
- Shallot 5
- Brown sugar 1 tsp
- Fine salt to taste
- For greasing
- Butter 1 tbsp (15 g)
How to prepare Onion Tarte Tatin
To make the onion tarte tatin, start by preparing the shortcrust pastry according to the procedure indicated Easy Shortcrust Pastry (Shortcrust Pastry). Place the sifted flour and cold butter in pieces 1 in a mixer, blend everything until you get a sandy-looking mixture. Place the mixture on a work surface and knead quickly 2, adding a little cold water at a time until you get a compact, firm, and fairly elastic dough 3. Once ready, wrap your shortcrust pastry in a sheet of plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes.
Butter a 10-inch diameter cake pan and sprinkle it with small pieces of butter 4. Clean and slice the onions into slices about 0.4 inches thick 5, do the same for the shallots 6. Try to get equal slices so they have the same cooking time.
Arrange the onions and shallots on the tray forming concentric circles. Salt 7 and sprinkle them with a teaspoon of brown sugar 8. After the 40 minutes of rest, roll out the shortcrust pastry into a sheet about 0.4 inches thick 9,
roll it onto the rolling pin and then place it over the onions, lowering it on the edges 10, run the rolling pin over the edge to remove the excess pastry 11 and fold the edge 12,
Prick the surface 13 and bake in a static oven, preheated, at 356°F for 30 minutes (in a fan oven at 320°F for 20 minutes). Once cooked 14, quickly flip it onto a serving plate 15 and serve the onion tarte tatin hot. Alternatively, you can flavor the onion base with aromatic herbs and balsamic vinegar by caramelizing them in a pan before baking.