Best Mediterranean Upside Down Tart Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN UPSIDE DOWN TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and gently sauté the onion, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, capsicums, garlic and seasonings until softish, stirring occasionally.
• Place the tomatoes, olives, feta, basil and sautéed veggies into a bowl and toss well, then transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish.
• Cut a pastry sheet to fit the dish and place it on top of the vegetables. Tuck in the edges and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden and has risen slightly .
• Allow the tart to cool a little and then invert it onto a large serving platter, so that the pastry is now on the bottom.
• Serve warm or at room temperature as a main dish for brunch or lunch or as a side dish served with other Mediterranean dishes, in which case it would serve more than 4.

TARTE TARTIN (UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE TART)

Steps:

• For apples, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter butter pieces and sprinkle sugar evenly in a 9 to 10-inch copper tartin pan or heavy baking pan. Tightly pack apple halves around inside edge of pan, reserve 4, standing upright, nestled against one another, with round side tilted down. Place 4 remaining halves in similar position in center of pan. (Apples will shrink as they cook and slip round side down into pan.) Bake for about 2 hours. Transfer pan from oven to stove top and cook over medium-high heat until butter and sugar caramelize to a rich brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and gently ease sticky apples away from side of pan with a knife. Refrigerate overnight so that apples firm up and "confit" further.
• For pastry, preheat oven to 350 degrees about 1 hour before serving tart. Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Rub butter into flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and work dough until it just holds together. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Drape pastry over apples and pan. Roll the rolling pin across of pan to cut off excess pastry and allow pastry to fall over apples against the inside edge of pan. Bake in oven (still at 350) until pastry is flaky and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place a flat ovenproof platter on top of tartin pan and invert quickly and carefully. Do not unmold yet. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and return platter and pan to oven for 10 minutes. Remove tartin pan and serve warm.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD TARTS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil with the butter until the butter has melted. Add the onions and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in the sugar and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender. Cool, then slice. Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan oven 200C.
• Cut the pastry in half and shape into two rough rounds. Roll them out on a lightly floured surface to two 18cm/7in rounds, then put on to a baking sheet.
• Divide the onions between both pastry rounds, spreading almost to cover. Reserve 2 sprigs of vine tomatoes with about 3 or 4 on each stem, and slice the rest in half. Scatter the slices of cheese over the onions, then the sliced potatoes, tomatoes and anchovy fillets (if using). Top each tart with one of the sprays of tomatoes on the vine, scatter the olives over and drizzle with a little extra oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
• Mix the pesto with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Toss the rocket and beans with a little oil and lemon juice and season. When the tarts are cooked, drizzle all over with the pesto mixture and scatter the torn basil leaves on top. Serve with the rocket and green bean salad.

MEDITERRANEAN SLICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Unroll the pastry and cut into 4 rectangles. Take a sharp knife and score a 1cm edge inside each rectangle, taking care that you don't cut all the way through the pastry. Place on a baking sheet.
• Spread 1 tbsp pesto onto each slice, staying inside the border, then pile up the peppers and artichokes. Cook in the oven for 15 mins until the pastry is starting to brown.
• Tear the mozzarella ball into small pieces, then scatter it (or use cheddar, if you prefer) over the veg. Return to the oven for 5-7 mins until the pastry is crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve with a green salad.

UPSIDE-DOWN CHICORY TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, then drop in the lemon halves. Boil the chicory for 2-3 mins until just wilted. Scoop the chicory into a bowl of iced water, then drain and sit on kitchen paper to absorb all the excess liquid.
• Heat the butter and sugar in an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm in diameter. Cook for 4-5 mins until the sugar is turning golden and caramelising, then turn off the heat. Cram the chicory, cut-side down, in the caramel. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut to fit the pan. Scatter the cheese over the chicory, then drape over the pastry, tucking it down at the sides. Bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Leave to rest for 5 mins before turning out onto a plate. Serve in slices with a side salad of winter leaves and walnuts.