50 g Unsalted butter
550 g Shallots; soaked in boiling
; water for 5
; minutes, drained,
; peeled and trimmed
300 ml Vegetable or chicken stock
1 200 gram she ready-rolled
-puff pastry; (from a 425 g
; packet), thawed
2 tb Caster sugar
1 tb Balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground
-black pepper
Leaf salad; to serve
Heat a large frying or saut pan. Melt 40g / 1and a half oz of the butter
in the pan, toss in the shallots and gently fry for about 10 minutes until
golden, tossing occasionally.
Pour in the stock to the pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes (depending
on the size of the shallots) until they are tender when pierced with a
sharp knife but still holding their shape. Remove the shallots with a
slotted spoon, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper (you could use the
remaining stock later for sauces or in a soup).
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Unroll the pastry and cut out a
25cm/10in circle, using a large plate as a template (don’t worry if some of
the edges the pastry sheet fall a bit short). Chill until ready to use.
Melt the remaining knob of butter in a 23cm/9in ovenproof frying pan
(preferably non-stick). Add the shallots and toss until well coated and
heated through. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for a minute or two until
caramelised, tossing constantly. Then sprinkle over the vinegar, toss again
until well coated and remove from the heat.
Season the shallots generously. Top with the pastry, tucking the edges down
the side of the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes until well risen and golden
brown. Leave for a few minutes before loosening the sides with a knife and
inverting on to a flat plate. Serve warm or cold, cut into slices with some
of the salad.
Yields
2 servings