Fennel tarte tatin

Name: Fennel tarte tatin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side
Ingredients: 2 medium fennel bulbs, bases trimmed, fronds reserved; 2 tsp olive oil; 300g puff pastry; Plain flour for dusting; 70g golden caster sugar; 1⁄4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar; 30g salted butter; 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar; 100g soft goat’s cheese; Specialist kit; 28cm ovenproof frying pan

Portion size: Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side
Hands-on time 30 min, plus cooling. Oven time 30 min
Difficulty: medium

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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You’ve probably sliced fennel paper thin to use as the star ingredient in a sophisticated Mediterranean salad, but there’s plenty more you can do with fennel bulbs – like this golden fennel tarte tatin.

Caramelised fennel on buttery pastry is a winning vegetarian dinner – and a great side for a roast. Fennel seeds and vinegar temper the sweetness, while goat’s cheese adds tang.

Explore more exciting ideas with fennel.

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Ingredients

2 medium fennel bulbs, bases trimmed, fronds reserved
2 tsp olive oil
300g puff pastry
Plain flour for dusting
70g golden caster sugar
1⁄4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
30g salted butter
2 tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
100g soft goat’s cheese

Specialist kit

28cm ovenproof frying pan

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Method

Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Cut the fennel into 2cm slices (usually one stem per slice) and put on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil, then bake for 15 minutes while the oven heats up.
Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 5mm thick. Cut out a circle at least 30cm in diameter, then transfer to a tray, prick all over with a fork and chill in the fridge.
To make the caramel, put the sugar, fennel seeds and 2 tbsp water in the frying pan over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then remove the spoon and bubble, swirling the pan every now and then, until the sugar syrup becomes a rich, dark caramel. Add the butter and vinegar (be careful – it will sputter), then stir until combined and creamy. Take off the heat.
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Arrange the fennel in the pan so the slices sit together snugly in the caramel. Scatter over half the goat’s cheese, then cover with the chilled pastry. Tuck the edge of the pastry into the pan all the way around. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden colour.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate (see Tips). Scatter with the remaining goat’s cheese and the reserved fennel fronds, then season with plenty of black pepper to serve.

Nutrition

335kcals Calories
20g (11g saturated) Fat
6.8g Protein
31g (13g sugars) Carbs
1.5g Fibre
0.8g Salt

Quick wins & tips

To turn out the tart without losing half the caramel, first make sure the pastry isn’t sticking to the pan by sliding a palette knife around the outside to release it. Sit a plate that’s bigger than the pan upside-down on top of the pan. Use an oven cloth or oven glove to hold the pan and the plate together while you swiftly and smoothly flip it over. Remove the pan – and the tart should be safely on the plate.

Don’t waste it Layer any leftover scraps of pastry on top of each other and keep in a food bag in the fridge. Use them to make cheese straws or jam tarts.