Upcycling Pastry Scraps into a Delicious Caramelised Onion Tart – Easy Method

The following method presents a fast take on the French onion tart, transforming a handful of pastry scraps into a impromptu snack. Save and collect any scraps into a ball and roll out again as the need arises. Dough freezes beautifully in the freezer, and by skipping two time-consuming steps in the standard method – preparing the dough and cooking slowly the onions – this dish assembles much more quickly. Instead, the onions are heated flipped, softening and browning below a layer of pastry with small fish and brined olives for a fast, fun take on a traditional French dish. And if you have not as much pastry, you can always cut down the ingredients.

Quick Inverted Pissaladière Tarts

The current wave of upside-down tarts, which went viral on social media and Instagram a recently, may have begun with a tasty and simple fruit and honey pastry or an inspirational onion tart that even led to a whole book on inverted recipes. I’ve also been enjoying myself with cooking upside down these days, from an extra-long leek tart to these quick small onion tarts. It’s a simple, fun approach to prepare something that seems especially impressive.

Yields 4 single servings

• 1 purple onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Sea salt and peppercorns
• 8 small fillets (or 4, for a subtler taste profile)
• Dark pitted olives, to taste
• 120g dough – flaky or firm can be used also

Heat the oven to a hot oven. Peel and clean the onion, then cut into four large, circular pieces. Prepare a heat-resistant cookie sheet with baking paper, then plan where you will put each piece of onion. Pour those areas with cooking oil and honey, then flavor. Lay two anchovies on top of each flavored area and layer them with a piece of onion. Tuck a few dark olives among the onions, then add with a little more fat, sweetener, seasoning and pepper.

Switch on two side-by-side hob rings to a warm setting, put the sheet on top of the rings and leave the onions to cook untouched for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, on a lightly floured counter, flatten the sheets and cut it into four squares just large enough to enclose each slice of onion. Gently put one dough piece on top of each piece of onion, press down on the perimeter with the back of a fork, then heat for a short while, until the dough is golden brown. Place a board on top of the hot pan, then flip to invert the tarts on to the surface. Gently peel away the paper and enjoy.