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Thursday 2 September 2010

Onion tart

Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: over 2 hours
Serves 8

Ingredients

125g
14 medium onions, very finely chopped
100ml oz white wine vinegar
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 ready-cooked savoury pastry case
50g parmesan, freshly grated

To serve

freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

  • Melt the butter in a large heavy-based non-reactive pan with a lid over a very low heat. Add the onions and cook with the lid on, stirring regularly to ensure the onions do not burn, for about two hours. The onions should be very soft, sticky and brown.
  • Turn up the heat and add the vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt. Cook until the vinegar has almost completely reduced. Stir regularly for about 30 minutes to prevent the onions burning, until the onions are a deep golden-brown. (A little colour from the bottom of the pan is fine - just stir it in.)
  • Preheat the oven to 200C.
  • Fill the ready-cooked pastry case with the onion mixture and smooth it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with grated parmesan season with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Bake the tart in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and leave to rest for ten minutes.
  • To serve, slice while warm and serve on warmed plates.

Mackerel on toast with salted cucumber and horseradish




Ingredients

½ cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline
salt
4 tbsp grated fresh horseradish
2 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche
2 tsp English mustard powder
4 fresh mackerel fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
knob of butter

To serve

4 slices soda bread, toasted, buttered
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ small lemon

Preparation method

  • For the salted cucumber and horseradish, place the cucumber slices into a colander and sprinkle with plenty of salt. Mix well and leave the contents to drain over the sink for half an hour.
  • Rinse the salt off the cucumber with cold water, then leave to drain. Gently wring out any excess moisture from the cucumber with your hands, then set aside.
  • In a clean bowl, mix the horseradish with the crème fraîche and mustard powder, making sure the mustard powder is well combined with no lumps. Set aside.
  • Season the mackerel fillets on their skin side with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Heat the butter in a frying pan until it is foaming, then add the fillets skin-side down. Place a heat-proof plate onto the cooking fillets, as this will make sure they stay flat and cook evenly. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until nearly cooked through, then turn the fillets and cook for 30 seconds, or until just cooked through.
  • To serve, place a small handful of the cucumber onto the toast. Place the cooked mackerel fillets onto the cucumber. Place a dollop of the horseradish sauce on top and garnish with a little of the sliced red onion and a squeeze of lemon.