Sweet caramelised onion and feta tartlets

By: Billy Law
From: Have You Eaten
Makes: 20
Photographer: Billy Law

Who’d have thought that simply cooking onions for a long time would render them so deliciously sweet? If you are going to make caramelised onion, I’d suggest you make a big batch, as it’s so versatile — use the onions on pizza, in pasta, stuffings and, of course, with your next sausage sizzle.

For this recipe I love the combo of sweet caramelised onion with brined feta cheese, while the buttery pastry simply crumbles and melts in the mouth. It is a little extra effort to make your own pastry but, trust me, it’s well worth the effort.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
80g	butter
2	large brown onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon	sugar
pinch	salt
2 tablespoons	white wine, (see note)
3 sprigs	thyme, leaves picked
200g	feta cheese

Savoury pastry

Quantity	Ingredient
150g	plain flour
50g	chilled butter, cut into cubes
pinch	salt
3 tablespoons	chilled water

Method

To make the savoury pastry, put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. While still processing, slowly add the water to the mixture in a steady stream, until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll it out to a 3 mm thickness. Use an 8 cm cookie cutter to cut the dough into discs, then line a 24-hole mini tart tin with the pastry. Transfer the tin to the refrigerator and let the pastry set for 20 minutes. Remove and prick the pastry bases a few times with a fork. Blind bake the tart cases for about 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little, then take the pastry cases out of the tin and rest on a wire rack until completely cool.
To caramelise the onions, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onions, sugar and salt and sauté for about 35–40 minutes, or until the onions are softened and golden brown. Stir frequently so the onions don’t catch on the pan and burn. When the onions are soft, deglaze the pan with the wine, add the thyme leaves and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Turn the oven back to 170°C. Fill the tart cases with the caramelised onion, then top with the feta. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted slightly and is lightly golden on the top.