Beetroot Tarte Tatin

This is from River Cottage, Vege Everyday cookbook - currently my favourite cookbook out of the hundred or so sitting on my bookshelf!

I almost converted my meat loving boyfriend with this recipe. 

Hugh serves his with a vinaigrette dressing which is yum (& I've included the recipe) but a good quality balsamic glaze (which is thicker than your normal vinegar) goes beautifully and makes it quicker to serve.


Ingredients

• 250g puff pastry
• knob of butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• trickle of honey or brown rice syrup (or 1 tsp brown sugar)
• 300-400g baby beetroot, the size of a golf ball, scrubbed & halved  OR buy normal sized beets & quarter
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Vinaigrette

• 2 shallots or 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• a pinch of sugar
• handful of italian parsley leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190oC.
2. Melt butter in a cast iron frying pan at a medium heat. Add the cider vinegar, sugar and some salt & pepper, stir well then add the halved beetroot cut side down and toss in the juices. 
3. You want the beetroot to fill the pan snugly. Cover pan with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes in the oven until beetroot are tender.
4. Take the pan from the oven and rearrange the beetroot halves neatly, placing them cut side up.
5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness & cut into a circle big enough to cover the fry pan.
6. Lay circle over beetroot patting it down & tucking in the edges
   
   down the side of the pan.
7. Return to oven & bake 20 minutes, until the pastry is fully puffed up & golden brown.
8. Leave the tarte to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out by putting a plate over the top and inverting it. Pour any juices left in the pan over beetroot.
9. Put the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a food processor, season with salt & pepper and blend.
10. Trickle over tarte tatin. Bon appétit!