This is an easy recipe that will have your guests feeling like they’ve just been served up a gourmet starter on Masterchef! Now this little starter is a taste sensation but you won’t get away with it being a meal.
Consider your options for what courses may follow along well. For example, we followed this with a beef wellington, red meats work well! If you are a vegetarian, you may consider something similar but swap the beef for a meat-free alternative… squash works well too!
Ingredients: (To make 3)
- 2 Sheets of Filo Pastry
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 tbsp of Dark muscovado sugar
- Goat’s Cheese
- Figs
- Butter
To Decorate:
- Honey
- Balsamic Vinegar
Method
Step One:
- Set the oven to 180 degrees. Prepare your muffin tin by greasing the inside with butter, ensuring that the pastry won’t stick.
Step Two
- Dice half an onion into small pieces. Turn your hob onto a low-medium heat and begin heating up two globs of butter.
Step Three:
- Add one tablespoon of Dark muscovado sugar to the pan as well as the half an onion. Turn the hob to a low heat and allow the onions to coat in the mixture. This will simmer along on the low heat for around five to ten minutes. Once you achieve the same appearance as the picture on the right, take it off the heat.
Step Four:
- Warm a small amount of butter in the microwave. Lay down your pastry on a chopping board and coat the layer in the melted butter. You should then put another layer of pastry on the top of this.
Step Five:
- Chop the pastry into approximately 2.5/3 inch squares. The pastry should then be popped into the muffin tray. Ensure that the bottom of the tray is covered but you can allow the sides of the pastry to have small folds, creating a ripple effect.
Step 6:
- Put the pastry into the oven on its own for around 7/8 minutes, or when it appears golden.
Step 7:
- Take the muffin tray out and fill the pastries with a layer of caramelised onion. Follow the onion with a layer of goat’s cheese. This should then be put back into the oven for around 4/5 minutes, until the cheese is melting.
Step 8:
- Whilst the tart is finishing up in the oven, prepare your figs. The only prep really is that they should be quartered.
Step 9:
- Take the tarts out of the muffin tray, be careful as they are extremely delicate and can snap rather easily. Once you have transferred them to your plates, you should top with a piece of fig.
Step 10:
- Decorate your plate with a swirl of both honey and balsamic vinegar. Not only does this add heights to the appearance of your starter but it also brings more definition to the taste. The honey gives it a sweet kick whilst the balsamic gives it that bit of tang.