Caramelised Fig & Blue-Cheese Tart. This is a great dish to prepare for a group in a flash. The caramelised fig, blue cheese, and balsamic vinegar work beautifully together, while the store-bought pastry eliminates fuss.
Serves 8
30g butter
3 shallots, finely diced
2 baby fennel, trimmed and chopped
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
6 figs, halved
2 sheets puff pastry, store-bought
3 eggs
1½ cups pouring cream
100g blue cheese
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
2 Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Add fennel and cook for another 4-6 minutes, or until softened. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
3 Place vinegar and sugar in the frying pan and cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden. Add figs (cut side down) and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until caramelised.
4 Lightly grease a 26cm fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin and line with pastry, trimming the edges and pricking the base.
5 Place eggs and cream into a medium bowl, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and whisk to combine. Place fennel mixture and figs in the base of the tart.
6 Pour egg mixture over figs and top with blue cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tart is golden and set.