Ingredients
Tomatoes
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) ripe tomatoes, cored, cut in half
- salt & black pepper
Caramel + Seasonings
- ** 40g (3 tbsp) sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) water
- 30ml (2 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
- * 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- * 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
Onions
- * 30g (2 tbsp) butter
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 30ml (2 tbsp) water (for deglazing)
Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry, large enough to cover your pan
Method
- Season the cut side of the tomatoes with salt & pepper
- Heat the sugar and water in an oven‑safe skillet over medium heat until it melts and turns pale golden. Add the balsamic vinegar (it will bubble so be careful). Remove from heat and stir in garlic, thyme, and olive oil.
- Arrange the tomatoes cut‑side down in the caramel. Transfer the skillet to a 135°C / 275°F oven and roast for 2 hours, until they collapse and intensify in flavour. After removing from the oven you may need to cook them on the stove top a little bit to drive off excess water depending on how wet the tomatoes are. This helps to not have a soggy tatin.
- Whilst the tomatoes are roasting, in a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until deep golden and sweet. Deglaze with the water and cook until dry. Set aside.
- Spread the caramelised onions over the roasted tomatoes. Cover with the puff pastry, tucking the edges down around the tomatoes. Cut a few small slits for steam.
- Bake at 230°C / 450°F for 20–30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden.
- Rest 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate so the tomatoes are on top.
Good to Know
- * Feel free to measure with your heart
- ** The original recipe I found and referenced below used roma tomatoes, but I think that whatever tomatoes are in season and are sweet can affect how much sugar you want to use. The 40 grams of sugar isn't a lot and makes for a nice amount of caramel, but sweet is a personal preference.
This recipe is modified from https://www.closetcooking.com/tomato-tatin/