Onions Are The Unsung Heroes (Part 2) – Onion Tarte Tain, Onion Marmalade Souffle

Onion Tarte Tain

I can’t
take all the credit for this one. Scot Kirton, a.k.a.
“Scottish”, put a dish onto The River Café’s menu while we were running it,
which was a version of this, only he used a nice thin slice of Spanish onion
and topped it with melting porcini mousse. Mine is a girly version that can be
served as is or drizzled with olive oil and topped with shaved Parmesan and
wild rocket.

Serves 4
to 6

Easy

Great value

Onion Tarte Tain

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 45 minutes

·        
Butter 2 T

·        
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

·        
Garlic 2 cloves,
crushed

·        
Pearl onions or
shallots 15, peeled and halved through the root

·        
Caster sugar 100 g

·        
Balsamic vinegar 1 T

·        
Butter puff pastry 350
g

·        
Fresh thyme a few
sprigs

·        
Thyme or wild rocket,
to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 160⁰C. Place 1 T butter, seasoning
   and garlic in a wide-bottomed pan. Add the onions, cut-side down.
2. Slowly fry the onions until they soften and the cut side is pale
   golden in-color. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Place the sugar in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until a
   caramel forms. Add the balsamic vinegar and the remaining butter. Pour a
   thin layer of caramel, about 2 to 3 mm thick, into a shallow saucepan or
   ovenproof tatin dish. Place the onions on top of
   the caramel, cut-side down.
4. Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of 3 to 5 mm and cut out
   dish. Place over the shallots and tuck in the edges so the pastry forms a
   “cup” to hold in the shallots. Make a small air hole in the centre of the pastry and bake for 30 minutes, or until
   golden.
5. Turn out the Tatin and serve garnished
   with wild rocket.

Meat-free

Wine: Stellenbosch Hills Chenin Blanc 2011

Onion Marmalade
Souffle

Serves 4
to 6

A little
effort

Great value

Onion Marmalade Souffle

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

·        
Red onions 8

·        
Olive oil 1 t

·        
Butter 40 g

·        
Flour 40 g

·        
Bay leaf 1

·        
Goat’s cheese 1 x 50 g
log, crumbled

·        
Milk 1 ½ cups

·        
Large free-range eggs 4, separated

·        
Nutmeg ¼ t

·        
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C. Slice 2 red onions and sweat
   in the olive oil and 1 T butter over a very low heat until reduce and
   sticky. Puree until smooth then set aside.
2. Halve the remaining onions through the root and hollow out. Season
   well and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.
3. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the flour
   and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Cool slightly then add 3
   – 4 T onion puree and the bay leaf.
4. Add the goat’s cheese, then the milk, stirring continuously. Cook
   for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. Transfer to a bowl, cover and allow to cool slightly.
5. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the nutmeg and season to
   taste.
6. In a separate, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites, until stiff peaks
   form. Fold a third of the egg whites into the sauce and mix well.
   Carefully fold in the remaining egg white and immediately transfer to the
   hollowed onions. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Fat-conscious,
health-conscious, meat-free

Wine: Thelema
Sutherland Viognier/ Roussanne
2010

Buried treasure

Unearth the
versatility of onions with the great selection available at Woolworths:

Brown
onions, the most
common type of onion, are an everyday cooking staple that keep well and requite
little more than peeling and chopping, grating or slicing. Rich in
antioxidants, they’re a versatile base for fried, roasted or baked dishes.

Cipollini onions
(also called Borettana onions) are sweet-flavored and
a welcome addition to sandwiches, salsas, salads and dips. Easy to slice and
not prone to falling apart when cut, they are just as tasty served raw as they
are slowly caramelized or oven-roasted.

Red
onions – sometimes
called purple onions – have a deep maroon-colored skin and pink-tinged flesh.
Medium to large in size with a mild to sweet flavor, they are best enjoyed
grilled or lightly cooked with other ingredients, or added raw to salads for
color (their red hue tends to diminish when they are cooked).

Shallots have a mild taste that combines the
flavor of sweet onion with a hint of garlic. Favored by chefs for their firm
texture and aromatic versatility, they are excellent in stir-fries, sauces and
salad dressings. Peel and serve whole or sliced, sauté gently in butter or
oven-roast drizzled with olive oil and scattered with fresh herbs.