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About the Recipe
Fresh carrots are appearing in farmers' markets as early as May. Creating a tasty savory version of the French Tarte Tatin, this dish layers textures and traditional French flavors: carrots and honey, caramelized onions and mustard, goat’s cheese and thyme, all over a flaky pastry base. This recipe is delicious and easy to make, and it’s also so pretty that nobody can resist it.
Ingredients
8-10 carrots, trimmed & halved lengthwise
2 tbsp honey, plus extra for brushing
4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped from stalks
8 onions (or 10 shallots), peeled & sliced
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 pack of puff pastry
75g goat’s cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the carrots in a baking tray with a little olive oil, the honey, thyme and salt and pepper. Toss everything and arrange the carrots in a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are just tender.
Step 2
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until they become soft and golden. Turn off the heat and mix in the mustard and vinegar.
Step 3
Brush some honey into a 9-10 inch tart tin and arrange the carrots in a single layer with the cut side down. Now add the onion mixture on top and flatten it out with a spoon.
Step 4
Roll out the puff pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle 2cm wider than the tin. Now, place the pastry on top of the onions, tucking in the edges inside. Using the tip of a knife or a fork, poke a few holes in to the pastry and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully inverting the tart onto a serving plate. Crumble over the cheese and garnish with a few thyme leaves before serving.
Cook Notes:
If the carrots you’re using are too big to arrange in a circular pattern, place them parallel to each other, trimming them if necessary.
It is easy to make this recipe vegan. Just use maple syrup in place of honey, replace the goat’s cheese with a vegan cheese spread, and use vegan pastry. My favorite dairy substitution is Farmhouse Garlic and Onion Raw Vegan Cheese from my friend Steph at La Crèmerie Crue. https://www.pneuma-wellness.com/product-page/plain-macadamia-nut-cheese. I often make these substitutions during the Orthodox Lenten season when meat and dairy are omitted for 40 days.
The inspiration for this recipe came from my friend and the talented Personal Chef Alicia at Copper & Thyme https://www.copperandthyme.co/personalchef. She served this dish for a friend visiting from out of town. And I first served this dish as an addition to a big Greek Easter feast. Grateful for her expertise and creativity!
Recipe credit: Riverford Organic Farms https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/carrot-tarte-tatin