Upcycling Pastry Scraps into a Tasty Caramelized Onion Tart – Quick Guide

The following recipe offers a speedy take on the French onion tart, transforming some leftover of leftover pastry into a impromptu treat. Store and collect any scraps into a lump and re-roll as the need arises. Pastry stores nicely in the icebox, and by avoiding two lengthy processes in the classic method – making the pastry and caramelizing the onions – this version is ready much more quickly. Instead, the onions are prepared inverted, cooking and caramelising under a layer of pastry with small fish and black olives for a quick, enjoyable take on a French classic. In case you have a smaller amount of dough, you can always reduce the recipe.

Quick Inverted Pissaladière Tarts

The present trend of inverted pastries, which became popular on video platforms and photo-sharing apps a recently, may have started with a delicious and straightforward peach and honey puff pastry or an motivational onion tart that even led to a entire publication on flipped dishes. Additionally, I have been experimenting with inverted baking lately, from an lengthy vegetable pastry to these speedy small onion tarts. It’s a simple, creative approach to prepare something that seems extra-special.

Makes 4 personal pastries

  • 1 purple onion
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 anchovies (or 4, for a milder flavor)
  • Pitted black olives, to taste
  • 120g pastry sheets – puff or shortcrust is suitable as well

Preheat the appliance to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Remove the skin and trim the onion, then chop into four large, circular pieces. Cover a stovetop-safe cookie sheet with non-stick paper, then visualize where you will position each round of onion. Sprinkle those spots with olive oil and honey, then season. Put two fillets on top of each flavored area and layer them with a piece of onion. Tuck a few dark olives inside and beside the onions, then add with a extra olive oil, nectar, salt and pepper.

Turn on two neighboring burners to a moderate temperature, put the sheet on top of the burners and leave the onions to cook without moving for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, on a dusted surface, roll out the sheets and cut it into four rectangles just large enough to cover each round of onion. Gently lay one pastry square on top of each slice of onion, seal on the perimeter with the reverse of a utensil, then bake for twenty minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Lay a serving platter on top of the baking sheet, then turn over to invert the tarts on to the surface. Gently remove the lining and enjoy.

Kristina Parsons
Kristina Parsons

A seasoned crypto analyst with a passion for demystifying digital currencies and helping investors make informed decisions.