This is the kind of thing you’ll want to rustle up if you’re hosting a dinner party. Your guests will be totally blown away by your pastry prowess. It looks the business, tastes delicious and is a great way to use up any onions you have knocking about in the cupboard! We like to use a quick-and-easy pastry sheet from the store rather than making our own, but that’s your choice of course. Quick word of advice, you might want to open a bottle for this one.
Ingredients: (Serves 8 as a starter, 4 as a main)
• 7 mixed red and white onions (about 500-600g)
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp dairy-free butter
• 24 sage leaves
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 20g smoked dairy-free cheddar
• 1 x 375g sheet ready-rolled dairy-free puff pastry
• Salt and black pepper
To serve
• Green salad
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a 24cm deep ovenproof frying pan with a lid over a medium-low heat. You will also require a board or plate that will fit tightly over the pan.
Cook the onions
Peel and halve the onions. Add the oil, dairy-free butter and half the sage leaves to the hot pan. After a couple of minutes, pour off a little of the sage butter into a small bowl. Add the onion halves to the pan, cut sides down. Season generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle the sugar over the onions and drizzle over one tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar. Turn down the heat, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Finely grate the cheddar and finely chop the remaining sage leaves. Mix the cheese and sage together and set aside.
Build the tart
Unroll the pastry and cut it in half widthways. Take the lid off the pan and scatter half the sage and cheese mixture over the onions. Drape the two pieces of pastry over the top to cover the onions, they will overlap in the middle. Carefully tuck the pastry in around the onions, being careful not to burn your fingers on the side of the pan. Prick the pastry all over with a fork and brush the top with the reserved sage butter. Transfer the pan to the hot oven to bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.
To serve
Remove the pan from the oven; be careful as the handle will be hot! Lay the board or plate over the pan then carefully flip it over to tip out the tart. Drizzle over the remaining balsamic vinegar, reserved cheese and the chopped sage leaves. Slice and serve with a simple green salad.
Ian and Henry, founders of BOSH!, have a burning desire to show the world just how easy it can be to eat plants. Whether you’re looking to overhaul your entire philosophy around what you eat, or simply looking for meat-free Monday inspiration, they’ve got your back. Their inventive food creations reached more than half a billion people in just their first year. They don’t do dull dinners and want to spread the word: going more plant-based doesn’t need to be restrictive or boring. In fact, it can be downright delicious.
BOSH! on a Budget by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby is out now
published by HQ, £16.99