Upcycling Dough Leftovers into a Tasty Caramelized Onion Tart – Quick Method
This particular technique offers a speedy take on pissaladière, converting a small amount of leftover pastry into a quick snack. Save and collect any scraps into a ball and use again as and when required. Pastry keeps well in the freezer, and by skipping two laborious procedures in the standard preparation – preparing the dough and cooking slowly the onions – this version is ready much more quickly. Instead, the onions are heated inverted, cooking and caramelizing below a layer of pastry with small fish and dark olives for a speedy, playful twist on a traditional French dish. In case you have not as much pastry, you can always halve the recipe.
Speedy Inverted Pissaladière Tarts
The recent popularity of inverted pastries, which spread quickly on social media and Instagram a couple of years ago, may have started with an appetizing and simple fruit and honey pastry or an inspirational savory tart that even led to a whole book on upside-down cooking. Personally, I’ve been experimenting with inverted baking recently, from an extra-long leek tart to these fast mini French tarts. It’s a straightforward, creative way to create something that feels extra-special.
Makes 4 personal pastries
- 1 purple onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 salted fish (or 4, for a less intense flavor)
- Pitted black olives, to taste
- 120g dough – flaky or buttery is suitable also
Heat the stove to a hot oven. Peel and clean the onion, then cut into four sizable, round slices. Prepare a hob-appropriate baking tray with non-stick paper, then imagine where you will place each piece of onion. Drizzle those areas with cooking oil and honey, then season. Lay two fillets on top of each flavored patch and cover them with a round of onion. Nestle a few olives inside and beside the onions, then season with a additional fat, nectar, salt flakes and black pepper.
Turn on two adjacent hob rings to a warm setting, put the tray on top of the rings and allow the onions to simmer undisturbed for 5 minutes.
At the same time, on a sprinkled with flour board, spread the dough and slice it into four rectangles sufficiently sized to enclose each round of onion. Carefully lay one pastry square on top of each piece of onion, seal around the edges with the back of a fork, then bake for a short while, until the pastry is golden brown. Place a plate on top of the baking sheet, then turn over to flip the tarts on to the surface. Carefully lift off the parchment and enjoy.
