A savoury, irresistible twist on a French treat: shallot tarte tatin brings together shallots caramelized in a skillet with butter and balsamic for a showstopping appetizer.
Equipment
Everything you need to make shallot tarte tatin at home:
- small bowl
- large cutting board
- 10″ oven-safe skillet with matching lid (I’m using stainless steal)
- chef’s knife
- small cutting board
- flipping spatula
- silicone spatula
- fork
Note: you can find the full recipe instructions and ingredients list below!
Cooking Tips
- Don’t forget to thaw your puff pastry. Every brand is different, but most require at least 2 hours at room temperature, or 12 hours refrigerated. Check the package instructions before you start the recipe.
- Let your goat cheese sit at room temperature while you make the tarte tatin. Doing this will make the cheese extra creamy and help match the temperature of the tart, so you’re not biting into a warm tart that’s topped with cold cheese – no thanks! It will also make the cheese a lot easier to scoop.
- Make ahead…Simply bake the tart in advance (but don’t add the toppings yet!). Let cool completely then cover in foil. When ready to serve, carefully transfer the tart to a parchment-lined baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven until hot to the touch. If the tart is looking dry, brush on a little melted butter to bring back the shine. Transfer to a cutting board, cut and top with goat cheese and chives. The tart can also be served at room temperature, and can sit out for several hours. When you’re ready to serve, just add the toppings and enjoy!
- Serve it with…french onion braised short ribs and squash salad.
Shallot Tarte Tatin
6-8
servings1
hourIngredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 tbsp flour (for rolling out pastry dough)
10-15 small-medium shallots
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 tbsp butter (cold)
200g unripened plain goat cheese
chives for garnish
Kosher salt (I'm using Diamond Crystal)
Directions
Heat oven to 375°F.
Transfer goat cheese to a small bowl and place near stove top to warm slightly.
Dust a large cutting board with flour. Roll out your pastry sheet and sprinkle with a little more flour. Take a 10" skillet and flip it over onto the floured pastry. Using a knife, trace a line around the pan. Peal away the excess pastry and discard. You should be left with a 10" round of dough. Set aside.
Halve your shallots length-wise from root to tip. Peel back the skin and trim the dirty part of the root end. The root should still be in tact but look neat and pretty.
Heat your 10" skillet on medium-low. Add olive oil and arrange your shallot halves open-side down in the oil. Increase heat to medium and let cook until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat and add 4 tbsp water. Cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the shallots are soft and a knife can easily slide in and out without resistance.
Remove the cooked shallots and set aside on a plate. There might be a few shallots with dried and craggily outer layers. Peel those dry layers off and discard.
Back in the skillet, wipe away any excess water. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar, constantly mixing until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a light simmer and let cook until slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Add dijon and fresh thyme. Mix until combined (if there are still a few clumps of dijon, that's fine!). Finally, add cold butter and continue stirring until the butter has melted and a glossy, thick sauce forms. If the sauce is still runny, and a similar consistency to raw balsamic, continue cooking until it has thickened. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off.
Once the sauce is glossy and thick, add your cooked shallots back to the skillet. Arrange them open-side down, so they each have a cozy little spot in the sauce.
Using a fork, prick several holes in the pastry round. Transfer the hole-y dough to the skillet to cover, and gently press down around the edges.
Transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven and cook at 375°F for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
When the pastry is golden and flaky, remove from the oven. Let cool slightly (enough that you can touch the pan with your hand and not get burned, but hot enough that if you gripped the handle, and held onto it, it might burn you), then flip it over unto a cutting board. See the notes below for my tips on this!
If some of the shallots stick to the bottom of the pan, don't fret! Use a spatula, or spoon, to scoop them up and place them back on the tart. No one will ever know!
Cut the tarte tatin into 8 slices and top with a scoop of room temperature goat cheese and freshly sliced chives.
Notes
- Flipping the tarte tatin is easily the hardest (and most intimidating) part of this recipe. But you can do it! I have faith!! My suggestions would be to 1) use an oven mitt, or kitchen towel, to hold the skillet handle 2) use the lightest cutting board you have, bonus points if it is a similar size to the skillet, bonus bonus points if it is also round and 3) have confidence and don't hesitate!
- Adding salt is not 100% necessary for this recipe. But could be added when steaming the shallots to infuse them with more flavour, or use the salt after mixing and tasting the sauce, if it needs it!
Tag me @stefsdinnerdate on Instagram and TikTok if you make it! I love seeing your creations.
Can I serve this cold or does it need to be warm?
I would say warm or room temperature! Cold would probably be OK, but not the best.
I just made this and my friends were all upset that there was not more of it! Absolutely delicious
So happy to hear it!! I guess you’ll just have to make another one haha <3
Question: when flipping the tarte tatin onto the board, I’m concerned that the puff pastry will stick to the edges of the pan that it was pressed on…does it just separate with no problem or should I run a knife tip carefully around the edge to prevent a mess?
I haven’t had issues with the edges sticking. But you could run a knife edges just to be sure. You might notice after flipping that some of the onions have stayed in the pan. Don’t worry! Just use a knife, or an off-set spatula, to transfer then back to the tart.
Thank you for your reply! We are going to make it for ourselves today and then make it for Christmas!
No problem! Let me know how it goes <3
I should have listened to my gut that 1/4 cup of balsamic was way too much. Maybe you’re supposed to cook it down way more after you put the butter in? That wasn’t too clear in the instructions (“until glossy”… it was glossy right away, so I didn’t cook it down too much after putting butter in. Soggy and too vinagery.
Hey Megan, sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you! I’ve gone back in and added a bit more guidance on how long to cook down the vinegar. Thanks so much for the feedback.
When do you add the salt?
You can add some with the water when steaming the shallots. Or after mixing the sauce, you could taste and adjust with some salt. But not 100% necessary.
Is there a cheese other than goat cheese that would pair well?
I think some brie or blue cheese would pair really well!
Just finished the tart as a light dinner. 10/10 no notes. Absolutely delicious
Ahhh!! So happy to hear that <3
Two questions: #1) Why is it necessary to place the pastry on top before baking, rather than transfer the cooked shallots and balsamic auce into a pie pan with the pastry lined pie pan, or pastry lined cast iron skillet and bake it that way? #2) I’m gluten-free and, although the are gluten free flours and pre made gluten-free pastry dough I can use, I’m wondering about how this tarte might work with a crust made of pre-cooked “smashed potatoes “. Any thoughts on this?
How to store the leftovers and reheat them?
Good question! I haven’t tested this, but I would store it in an airtight container and reheat at 350°F on a wire rack-lined baking sheet until warm. Hope that helps!