Recipe | Tomato Tarte Tatin

Originating from the Americas, tomatoes reached Europe in the 16th century via the Spanish explorers. Nowadays, China is the world’s largest producer! Try this savoury recipe with a twist: Tomato Tarte Tatin with Parmesan and rocket leaves. A recipe by Alex Crepy in this week’s Cambridge Independent.

Ingredients:

• 20 tomatoes on the vine
• 20ml olive oil
• 10g Maldon sea salt, crushed
• 40g granulated sugar
• 20ml balsamic vinegar
• 4 puff pastry circles, 12.5cm diameter
• 50g rocket or pea shoots washed and dried
• 40g piece Parmesan cheese, cut into wafer-thin slices with a peeler

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 100C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Bring some water to the boil in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, remove the tomatoes from the stalks and make a small cross in the base of each one with a sharp knife.
• When the water is boiling, drop them in all at once, and leave for one minute. Drain and quickly drop them into a bowl of iced water to prevent further cooking.
• When the tomatoes are cold, remove the skins and cut each one into quarters. Remove the pulp and seeds, then place the quartered tomatoes on the prepared baking tray, side by side and face down. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then 20g of the sugar. Cook them in the pre-heated oven 100C for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Remove and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Turn up the oven to 180C.
• Put the balsamic vinegar and remaining sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Pour equally into four non-stick tartlet moulds, 9cm diameter and 2 cm high.
• Arrange the tomatoes quarters on top of each other, rounded side up, in the moulds. Cover with the puff pastry circles, tucking the excess pastry around the tomatoes inside the mould to enclose them.
• Cook in the preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes. Remove the cooked tatins from the oven and set aside for 2-3 minutes.
• With a cloth, take a mould in your hand, cover it with a plate, and then flip it over rapidly. Turn the mould slightly on the plate to make sure it is free, and then remove it. Repeat with the three remaining tarts.
• Sprinkle a small amount of the rocket over and around the tatins, then sprinkle with the parmesan shavings. Enjoy!

Check our sweet recipe: the traditional Apple Tart Tatin