Parsnip, sweet potato and shallot tarte tatin
A filling vegetarian supper with caramelised seasonal veg, topped with a flourish of walnuts and blue cheese.
Ingredients
For the tarte tatin
- 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2cm/1in thick rounds
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm/1in thick rounds
- 4 banana shallots, cut into 2cm/1in thick rounds
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú unsalted butter
- 50–100ml/2–3½fl oz sherry vinegar, to taste
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- plain flour, for dusting
- 500g/1oz 2oz ready-made puff pastry
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To garnish
Method
To make the tarte tatin, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
In a large bowl, toss the parsnips, sweet potato and shallots with the oil and thyme, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 10–15 minutes to soften. Set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6½.
Place a flameproof 23cm/9in frying pan over a heat. Make a caramel from the sugar and butter. Add the sugar to a hot dry pan and add the sugar cook until it turns to dark caramel and then add the butter and cook until it has melted into the caramel. (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully.) Stop this with the sherry vinegar – it will splutter in the pan so stand back. Allow to cool slightly before adding the bay leaves, fennel seeds and star anise, then arrange the vegetables on the cooled caramel.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the puff pastry to the thickness of a pound coin then lay over the top of the pan, tucking tightly around the sides.
Cook for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with the walnuts and blue cheese on top, garnished with tarragon leaves.
