Fig and caramelised red onion tatin, barrel-aged feta, salted honey and pink peppercorn vinaigrette, by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel
(Serves four)
Ingredients
For the fig and caramelised onion tatin 600g red onions, peeled and finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
30g unsalted butter plus extra to grease the moulds
Freshly cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt
30g muscovado sugar
50g raspberry vinegar
1tsp chopped thyme
6 large ripe figs
4 x 9cm diameter all butter puff pastry discs
120g barrel-aged feta cheese
For the salted honey and pink peppercorn vinaigrette
3tsp English mustard
100ml rapeseed oil
30ml Aspal Cyder vinegar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Maldon sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon
1tbs local honey
¼ tsp crushed pink peppercorns
To serve Handful of salad leaves
Method
To make the tarts, preheat the oven to 200°C and grease four 8 x 2cm round tart moulds with butter. Heat a saucepan with the butter and sweat the onions and garlic with seasoning until they start to caramelise. Add the sugar and cook until dissolved.
Deglaze with the vinegar and cook for a further 8-10 minutes. The caramelised onions should be coated and not too dry or wet. Once they are done stir in the chopped thyme and leave to cool.
Wash the figs and cut into quarters if they are large and halves if they are small. Place the figs at the base of the prepared moulds. Spoon a generous amount of caramelised onions on top of the figs and top with the pastry discs. Tuck the pastry in to encase the caramelised onions.
Let the tarts rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before baking them for 30 minutes. Allow them to cool for 2 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
To make the salted honey and pink peppercorn vinaigrette, measure all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake vigorously until mixed, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve the warm tarts on a plate, crumble over barrel-aged feta and garnish with dressed salad leaves. Drizzle over the salted honey and pink peppercorn dressing and serve at room temperature.
