Equipment
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
Tomato Base
- 400 g cherry tomatoes, whole
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
- 4 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Pastry & Garnish
- 250 g store-bought puff pastry, thawed but kept cold
- 50 g goat cheese, crumbled
- 5 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 335 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 408 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 297 mg
- Calcium
- 45 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 85 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 44 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 1.9 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 72 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Heat the butter and olive oil in the oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and jammy. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the whole cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper to the onions in the skillet. Cook briefly until the tomatoes just begin to soften and glisten, but do not let them burst completely.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Arrange the tomatoes in a relatively even single layer, pressing the caramelized onions into any gaps. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Roll out the cold puff pastry slightly so it is just larger than the skillet. Drape the pastry over the tomato mixture, carefully tucking the overhanging edges down into the pan to create a border.
Bake the tart in the preheated oven at 200°C / 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the puff pastry is deep golden brown and completely puffed.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Let the tart rest undisturbed in the pan for exactly 10 minutes.
Place a flat serving plate over the skillet. Using oven mitts, carefully and swiftly invert the skillet and plate together. Remove the skillet to reveal the tart. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese and torn basil leaves.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature management is key for puff pastry. Keep the dough in the refrigerator until the exact moment you need to drape it over the pan. Warm pastry results in dense, greasy crusts.
- Using an oven-safe cast iron skillet ensures even heat distribution, which helps evaporate excess moisture from the tomatoes while keeping the pastry crisp.
- Balsamic vinegar provides essential acidity that balances the natural sweetness of the caramelized onions and roasted cherry tomatoes.
- If your tomatoes are exceptionally juicy, you can lightly dust the caramelized onion and tomato mixture with a teaspoon of flour or almond meal before laying down the pastry to absorb excess liquid.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Pastry will lose its crispness. Cover loosely with foil.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C / 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to recrisp the pastry.
Troubleshooting
Soggy puff pastry bottom
Cause: Tomatoes released too much liquid or the tart was underbaked.
Fix: After inverting, place the tart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the pastry.
Prevention: Ensure the oven is fully preheated, and do not prick or crush the tomatoes before baking.
Tomatoes stuck to the bottom of the skillet
Cause: The tart was left to cool in the pan for too long, causing the natural sugars to solidify.
Fix: Gently heat the bottom of the skillet on the stovetop for 30 seconds to loosen the caramel, then try inverting again.
Prevention: Invert the tart strictly after 10 minutes of resting.
Cultural Context
The Tarte Tatin was famously created by accident at the Hotel Tatin in France in the 1880s as a sweet apple tart. This savory modern iteration honors the classic French technique of upside-down baking, brilliantly showcasing the brightness of summer tomatoes and the rich, earthy depth of caramelized onions.
