PEAR & PEARL ONION TARTS

MAKES 4

Tart bases:

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the fridge

1 egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water Onions:

30ml (2 tbsp) oil

15ml (1 tbsp) butter

10 pickling (pearl) onions, peeled and cut into quarters

60ml (4 tbsp) balsamic vinegar

30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar

180ml (¾ cup) vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Roasted pears:

60ml (4 tbsp) brown sugar

60ml (¼ cup) melted butter

30ml (2 tbsp) honey

Salt

3 large pears, peeled, cored and cut in half Pecan cracklings:

750ml (3 cups) broken pecans

1 egg white, lightly whisked

250ml (1 cup) icing sugar

5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

To assemble:

60ml (4 tbsp) smooth cottage cheese 4 handfuls micro greens or baby lettuce

60ml (4 tbsp) Dolcelatte (gorgonzola) Vinaigrette:

125ml (½ cup) olive oil

15ml (1 tbsp) honey

30ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll the cold puff pastry sheet out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick. Cut out four circles, about 10cm in diameter, and dock very well with a fork (poke holes in the pastry) – you don’t want it to rise or puff up too much.

Line a baking tray with a silicone sheet or baking paper. Place the pastry circles on the sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown.

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan and cook the onions on medium to high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown (about 15-20 minutes). Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer on a low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and it’s a syrupy consistency. Set aside to cool.

Melt the sugar in the butter in a pan over low heat. Remove from the heat, add honey and a pinch of salt. Brush each pear half liberally with the sweet butter mixture on all sides. Place the pear halves cut-side down on a baking tray lined with a silicone sheet or baking paper.

Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1520 minutes, or until the pears are well caramelised on top and a caramel has formed on the bottom of the tray. Brush with more butter mixture two or three times during roasting until the pears are golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Once cool enough to handle, cut each pear into thin slices (about 2mm thick).

Toss the pecans in the egg white and coat thoroughly. Combine the icing sugar, cumin, salt and pepper, and sprinkle this mixture over the nuts. Mix thoroughly to ensure that all the nuts are coated.

Line a baking sheet with silicone or wax paper. Spread the nuts out in a single layer so that they are not touching, otherwise they will form clumps. Bake in a preheated oven at 145°C for 20 minutes, or until crunchy and dry. Spread 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese onto each baked tart base. Divide the cooked onions evenly among them. Arrange the pear slices on top of the onions, overlapping them in a circular fan pattern.

Just before serving, pop the tarts in the oven (180°C) for 2-3 minutes to heat them up. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. Dress the micro greens and scatter over a few gorgonzola crumbs. Place on top of each tart. Sprinkle the pecan cracklings over and around each tart, and serve.

TIPS: To make mini tartlets, use a cookie cutter to make the pastry circles.

When puff pastry gets too warm, it can get very sticky. So you always want to work with it when it’s cold – and you need to work quickly.

It is important that the pears are cooked all the way through, otherwise they will oxidise and turn brown in the centre. At the same time, they should not be overcooked or they will become soft and mushy to slice.

The nuts can be prepped ahead of time. Let them cool down for a few minutes after baking, then transfer to an airtight container while still slightly warm. Store until needed.