Anchovy, Caramelised Onion & Olive Tarts

Award-winning restaurateur Reuben Riffel says:

 

'We are so lucky to have excellent olives at our disposal in SA.  This tart is a celebration of the South African olive.'

 

 

 

Serves: 2

Total Time: 40 min

Prep Time: 20 min

 

 

Ingredients

1 roll puff pastry

1 cup blind-baking beans

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

1 tsp butter

1 onion, julienned

1 egg yolk

1⁄2 cup mascarpone, room temperature

10 anchovies

1⁄2 cup olives, pitted

1⁄2 cup baby salad leaves

1⁄4 cup Italian parsley leaves

2 tbsp Gruyère shavings

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Butter two 15cm-diameter loose- bottomed tart tins.

3. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.

4. Cut out circles of about 18cm in diameter. Place one circle of pastry over each tin and neatly press in the pastry. Cut off the extra dough from the edges to form a neat tart case.

5. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the pastry to stop air bubbles from forming underneath it.

6. Cut out two 15cm by 15cm pieces of baking paper. Put one piece over each pastry case.

7. Divide the blind-baking beans equally between the tarts and place on the baking paper. Bake the tart cases for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Remove the pastry cases from the oven and lower the heat to 160°C.

9. Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring every now and then. The sugar in the onion will start to caramelise after about 8 minutes.

10. When the onions are a caramel colour and very soft, they're ready.

11. Mix the egg yolk with the mascarpone until the mixture is very smooth, with no lumps.

12. Divide the caramelised onion between the two tart cases.

13. Layer 5 anchovies on top of the onion in each tart.

14. Fill the rest of the tart case with the mascarpone filling and top, decoratively, with equal amounts of olives. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

15. To serve, place the tarts on serving plates. Position the salad leaves and parsley leaves decoratively around each tart and garnish with the Gruyère shavings. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

 

 

TIP: To make these tarts, buy the best-quality puff pastry you can find.