Everything about food, from matching food and wine to recipes, techniques and trends.

RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

43596

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jenise » Sun Aug 06, 2006 3:28 pm

This savory tarte tatin is as spectacularly attractive as it is delicious, with endive halves spreading out like the petals on a flower from the center of the round tarte. Highly recommended for a summer day lunch with a light green salad and a glass of riesling--serves four as a main meal, or up to 12 in slender 2" slices.

About 10 ounces of puff pastry
4-5 short fat Belgian endives
1.5 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup grated cheese (something strong but creamy, I used a young gouda)
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp sugar
salt and pepper

Halve the endives, untrimmed (to not risk them coming apart), and simmer in boiling water for about 7 minutes. Layer the endives in a colandar cut side down to drain.

Roll pastry, cut into about five 6" squares. Scatter about half the cheese between the layers. Roll stacked pastry out to size needed to fit your skillet (or tart pan), allowing a bit extra to overlap the edges for shrinkage.

Now trim the endives, cutting off the bottoms and cutting out a bit of the bitter center stalk so that each half is more flexible for spreading. In the skillet, melt butter then add sugar, salt and pepper. Place endives in pan, butt end to center and press down with the back of a spatula to spread them. Sprinkle the onions over the endives, being sure to fill the spaces between the endives. Put skillet on medium high heat to brown the endives, about five minutes. Let cool, then sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with pastry. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Invert hot tart onto board or platter to cut and serve. Best hot, but also good at room temp or lightly reheated.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

43596

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jenise » Fri Aug 20, 2010 6:17 pm

I'm making this again tonight!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Jo Ann Henderson

Rank

Mealtime Maven

Posts

3990

Joined

Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:34 am

Location

Seattle, WA USA

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jo Ann Henderson » Fri Aug 20, 2010 7:28 pm

Did you take a picture? I love food porn! Thx. :P
"...To undersalt deliberately in the name of dietary chic is to omit from the music of cookery the indispensable bass line over which all tastes and smells form their harmonies." -- Robert Farrar Capon
no avatar
User

Mike Filigenzi

Rank

Known for his fashionable hair

Posts

8187

Joined

Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:43 pm

Location

Sacramento, CA

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Mike Filigenzi » Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:53 am

That sounds great! We'll make this one.

I'm thinking a little diced bacon or pancetta thrown in might be good as well?
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

43596

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jenise » Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:52 am

This was probably the most popular food we served tonight, eclipsing the three smoked salmons warm off the smoker, a comparison of king, silver and red (chinook, coho and sockeye, in some vernaculars).

Note: we used walla walla onions for the local connection, but do buy and use red if you can. Appearance-wise, the pink color of the cooked red onion tucked between the 'petals' made by the endives is spectacular, and you want that. Also, I wrote this recipe based on very small endives. The endives I used today were quite large--fat cockatiel size--and three per tatin were enough. IOW, use common sense.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Mike Filigenzi

Rank

Known for his fashionable hair

Posts

8187

Joined

Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:43 pm

Location

Sacramento, CA

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Mike Filigenzi » Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:42 am

Hey Jenise -

Any thoughts on doing this in a tart pan rather than skillet? I'm just wondering if you think it would be difficult to transfer the endive from skillet to tart pan while maintaining the "flower petal" look of the endive. Also, any recommendations on the size of the tart pan you'd go with?

Thanks!
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

43596

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jenise » Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:41 pm

Mike, my first reaction is no, if your tart pan is glass or ceramic, stay with the skillet. What happens to the ingredients as they brown/caramelize on the bottom of a metal skillet is advantageous. Of the two we made this weekend, one caramelized and even got a bit black about the edges (not the pastry, just the stuff below) and it was not only the most attractive but the most flavorful as well.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Mike Filigenzi

Rank

Known for his fashionable hair

Posts

8187

Joined

Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:43 pm

Location

Sacramento, CA

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Mike Filigenzi » Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:45 pm

Thanks, Jenise. That makes sense. Interestingly, I happened to pick up a cookbook yesterday (can't remember which one) that had a very similar recipe for an endive tart. This one was a little more complicated than yours as they had you make caramel to put in the bottom of the skillet prior to putting the endive and onion in. There was a honey sauce to serve with it.

Frankly, I like the sound of your recipe a little better.
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

43596

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Jenise » Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:04 pm

Mike Filigenzi wrote:Thanks, Jenise. That makes sense. Interestingly, I happened to pick up a cookbook yesterday (can't remember which one) that had a very similar recipe for an endive tart. This one was a little more complicated than yours as they had you make caramel to put in the bottom of the skillet prior to putting the endive and onion in. There was a honey sauce to serve with it.

Frankly, I like the sound of your recipe a little better.


Wow, similar? I've been robbed! Just joking--this is my recipe, but it wasn't my original idea. But rather, I saw a photograph of one in a magazine or newspaper when I was in Holland back around 1999. I don't recall if it was a picture only or if there was a recipe but I couldn't read it due to the language issue, but the photo of it stayed in my mind and eventually I made a project out of making my own version of it. This post was the end result.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Susan B

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

161

Joined

Sat May 30, 2009 12:17 pm

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Susan B » Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:39 pm

I was priviledged enough to taste it and it was delicious! A must try.
no avatar
User

Bill Spohn

Rank

He put the 'bar' in 'barrister'

Posts

9975

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:31 pm

Location

Vancouver BC

Re: RCP: Belgian endive and red onion tarte tatin

by Bill Spohn » Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:07 am

Endive always makes a great looking tart.

Here is one I recall - it might look familiar to you.

Image

The diners were amazed!

Image

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot, Majestic-12 [Bot] and 1 guest

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign