Caramelised onion and sheep cheese tart

Pastry
1 ½ cups plain white flour
½ tsp salt
150g butter, chilled and sliced
2 egg yolks
1-2 Tbsp chilled water

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub butter into the flour until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Cut in egg yolks and sufficient water until pastry begins to form large clumps, which, when gathered in the hand and pressed, should stay together.
Turn the dough out and bring together. Wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

Caramelised onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 large onions
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced (optional)
1 tsp fresh lemon thyme
Salt and pepper

Slice onions into thin rounds. Heat a large frying pan, add olive oil and sweat down onions for 5 minutes.
Add brown sugar, vinegar, olives, thyme and caramelise for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste. Cool.

Serving
100g sheep feta cheese
1 cup mixed lettuce leaves
½ cup chutney

Assemble
Preheat oven to 220°C. Roll out pastry until 5mm thick.
Grease 6 small pie tins or one large tin and line with the pastry.
Place baking paper over pastry and weigh down with pastry weights, dried beans or rice and blind bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights and bake for a further 3 minutes.
Add the onion mixture to the tart case.
Sprinkle with feta and bake until hot.
Serve with the mixed lettuce leaves and your favourite chutney.

Recipe kindly supplied by
Chef Alan Campbell
Elegance at 148 on Elles
148 Elles Rd, Invercargill
(03) 216 1000

Photo
Justine Paul