I came across an amazing recipe from Nadiya Hussain that is now my go-to for unexpected house guests! If you need to make a quick appetizer this is THE ONE and it's a great way to use any of your left over cheese that you may have from one of your grazing boards. I was surprised because of the robust flavors, that everyone enjoyed this so much, even the kids who tend to frown with anything that has onions. When I placed this tart on the table, I couldn't believe how fast it was gone.
The recipe is perfect and I didn't make many changes except for cutting back on a bit of the sugar that was added to the onions. If you use vidalia onions, they have a natural sweetness that can't be matched. I also used gorgonzola instead of blue cheese, because that is what I had on hand. Gruyere, camembert or feta would be great in this tart as well! One more thing... I guess I made more changes than I thought :). A drizzle of blasamic glaze before serving is DIVINE.
This tart is so versatile and I can see adding fruit such as pears, figs and peaches or crumbled smoky bacon. You can also cut the puffed pastry into individual tarts for a smaller appetizer. The combinations are endless so once you wheels will start turning and I am sure you wiil create something amazing.
Create a beautiful table scape and voila, you have light bites for your guests that doesn't take more than 30 minutes to make. Enjoy and please let me know if you have tried out the recipe for yourself. Tag us @nosh.atl
Reprinted from Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain. © 2020 by Nadiya Hussain.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large sprigs of lemon thyme
1 garlic clove, grated
5 onions, thinly sliced (you will need about 2 pounds 2 ounces/1 kilogram)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 1/4 ounces (150 grams) blue cheese
1 handful chopped fresh chives, to serve
Directions:
Start by cooking the onions. They need to be cooked slowly on low heat, so it’s best to begin with those. Melt the butter in a large nonstick frying pan—we have a load of onions to cook. When the butter has melted, pick off the thyme leaves and add, then add the garlic and onions. Mix everything together. Now add the pepper, salt, and sugar and mix. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes**, stirring occasionally.
While that cooks, start on the pastry. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper or use the paper the pastry comes in and roll out the pastry onto the sheet.
Using a knife, score a smaller rectangle ½ inch/1 centimeter inside the pastry rectangle, making sure not to cut all the way through. Pierce the inner rectangle with a fork all over to allow the steam to escape when it bakes.
Brush the edges with the egg and bake for 20 minutes, until golden all over.
Take out and, using the back of a spoon, push down all the puffed-up pastry of the inner rectangle, creating a nice neat border.
Take the blue cheese and crumble all over the inner rectangle of the pastry. Add the onions and scatter them all over till you have an even layer. Now bake for 15 minutes.
Take out and let cool for 10 minutes before eating, sprinkled with the chives.
** the onions take a looooong time to break down, definitely more than 30 minutes, but be patient, you don't want them to burn. You can definitely make a batch of caramelized onions in advance if you are pressed for time. They can last up to a week in the refrigerator.