This Summer, I am partnering with Oliv to bring you delicious recipes that are bursting with Balsamics and Extra Virgin Olive Oils. These two ingredients are utterly prevalent in French cuisine, especially in Southern France. And like most French cooks, I always have a bottle of EVOO and a bottle of balsamic laying on my counter – which find their way into my vinaigrettes, grillades, vegetable tians and stews, on a daily basis.

So when Oliv reached out to ask me to develop recipes with their infused EVOOs and Balsamics, I was very excited. This first recipe features their fig-infused Balsamic vinegar in little Balsamic Pearl Onion Tartes Tatin. (A tarte tatin being the French way to say upside-down tart). 

If you’re unfamiliar with them, Oliv is a Canadian-based company offering premium quality Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars, in a “branch to table” philosophy. They import their oils from South Africa and Balsamic vinegars from Italy, controlling their product from start to finish. Oliv’s trademark is also to flavour their oils and vinegars with natural essential oils, which makes their line of products so versatile and easy to sneak into any of your recipes – be it savoury or sweet.

Being a fig-lover, I was immediately enticed to try their fig-infused Balsamic vinegar. It is rich, smooth and full of fig-flavours. I knew it would be the perfect ingredient to add a burst of fruitiness into these salty, crusty little pearl onion tartes tatins.  

I used the balsamic to create a sweet and tangy glaze for the pearl onions, which then produced the most perfect caramelization when baking in the oven (which, when making a tarte tatin, is exactly what you are looking for, both taste-wise and look-wise!).        

And because this balsamic vinegar also pairs great with cheese, I snuck in a little slice of brie on top of the pearl onions before adding the crust on top. It brought an extra layer of richness, and a nice smoothness to balance with the fruitiness of the balsamic.

All around, these little Balsamic pearl onion tartes tatins are so delighltful; and it’s really the balsamic vinegar that puts them over the top!

This recipe works for 4 individuals tarts or 1 large one. Enjoy it warm, as a shareable appetizer (with a glass of dry Chardonnay) or alongside a fresh salad for a summer-perfect weekday dinner.

Balsamic Pearl Onion Tartes Tatin

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp rosemary, finely diced
8 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tbsp ice water

Topping

1 1/2 lbs pearl onions, whole and peeled.
3 tbsp butter
½ tsp kosher salt
3 tablespoons Oliv fig-infused balsamic vinegar
Optional: 4 slices of brie cheese

Instructions

For the dough:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Mix in the rosemary and cubed cold butter with your fingers until you get a rough, crumbly consistency with pea-sized lumps of butter still visible. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and stir with your hands until the dough just comes together. If the dough is still too dry, add in 1 more tablespoon of water. Gather the dough into a rough ball, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the onions. Heat the butter in a pan (ideally a skillet) on medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, lay the onions in the pan (they should be pretty snug) and cook for 6-7 minutes without stirring. Shake the pan to roll the onions and cook for another 6-7 minutes, giving the onions a light gold colour all around. The onions won’t be fully tender just yet.

Pour the Balsamic Vinegar over the onions and stir to make sure the onions are evenly coated. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400F.

Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out to an 11” circle. For individual tarts, cut out 4”x4” circles. Spread the onions at the bottom of a greased 11” baking pan (or skillet) or into 4”x4” individual tart shells or rings. Optional: apply slices of brie on top of the onions (or 1 per individual tart). Lay the pastry round(s) over the onions and cheese, folding the edges on the sides.

Bake until the pastry is golden, about 35 minutes for a large tart and 20-25 for individual ones. Remove from the oven, let cool 3 minutes (no more) and carefully invert the pan(s) onto a plate to unmold (don’t wait any longer or the caramelized onions will stick to the bottom). If any pearl onions fall in the transfer, simply put them back in place.

If you try this Balsamic Pearl Onion Tartes Tatin recipe let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!

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