Tomato tarte tatin

Name: Tomato tarte tatin
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 5 medium tomatoes, thickly sliced; 2 shallots, thickly sliced; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp white miso; 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice (added at the end); 1 sheet puff pastry, cut to fit your pan; ⅜ cup feta, torn, never crumbled; kosher salt, a big pinch; small bunch basil, torn, divided; flaky salt, to finish; balsamic glaze, to finish

Sweet, sharp and considerably more interesting than the version that started it.

At a Glance

Time

45 min

Adjust servings

Story

Tarte tatin began as an accident at the Hôtel Tatin in the 1880s, apples caramelized under pastry and flipped in desperation. Apples never needed rescuing from their own sweetness. Tomatoes do, which is why the savory floor of tomato paste and miso is the whole difference between a proper tart and a jammy pudding in a savory costume.

Ingredients

5 medium tomatoesthickly sliced
2 shallotsthickly sliced
2 cloves garlicthinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp white miso
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juiceadded at the end
1 sheet puff pastrycut to fit your pan
⅜ cup fetatorn, never crumbled
kosher salta big pinch
small bunch basiltorn, divided
flaky saltto finish
balsamic glazeto finish

Method

A warm starter that arrives upside down and gets away with it.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-low. Add the tomatoes and shallots with a big pinch of kosher salt and cook 5 minutes without much stirring, pulling out as much moisture as you can manage.
Push the vegetables aside and drop the tomato paste and miso onto the bare spot. Toast 30 seconds, then stir through everything. Do not skip this. It is what keeps the tart savory instead of sweet.
Scatter the garlic over with the black pepper, balsamic and honey. Simmer without stirring for 5 minutes, until syrupy.
Off the heat, tear half the basil over the top. Lay the puff pastry over everything, tucking the edges down into the pan with a spoon, and stab a few holes in the top with a fork.
Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden.
Rest 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate with conviction. Scrape any stray bits from the pan back onto the tart. They are yours by right.
While still warm, splash over the sherry vinegar or lemon juice. That late acid is what keeps it a tart and not a dessert. Finish with the torn feta, the remaining basil, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve warm.

Make ahead, gladly. The tomato and shallot base holds a day in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before the pastry goes on or it will not crisp.

On the pass