A gloriously butter puff pastry case filled with caramelised tomatoes and oregano. To this version I added a little homemade tomato sauce left over from last weekend’s pizza menu and served it with a vibrant salsa verde which keeps in a jar in the fridge for several weeks. So simple, so delicious and as light as a feather. I love a tart but a classic tarte tatin is particularly close to my heart because it reminds me of my beloved mother and our childhood holidays in France. Without fail, there was always the obligatory visit to the local bakery to pick up a tarte for lunchtime and perhaps, if we had been particularly good, a little box of citrusy madelaines tied up with a ribbon.

Ingredients

25g butter
Good quality extra-virgin olive oil
800g medium tomatoes, halved across the equator and seeds scooped out
1 tbsp unrefined golden caster sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
A small amount of homemade tomato sauce (optional)
375g ready made all-butter puff pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
Micro herbs, to serve (optional)

How I make it

Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt the butter with a splash of olive oil. Add the tomatoes, skin-side down, in a single layer and turn the heat down. Allow to cook until they have caramelised and released their juices. Lift out with a slotted spoon and arrange skin-side down across the bottom of a in a tart tin. Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan and cook until the pan juices are reduced and syrupy. Drizzle over the tomatoes in the tin, then scatter with the oregano. If you would like to pour a small amount of home made tomato sauce over the top (this will help to fill in any gaps)

In the meantime, heat an oven to 200C.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a good 25-26cm round. Lay on top of the tomatoes and tuck the edges down around the sides. Use a fork to prick holes all over the pastry to allow the steam to escape.

Place the tart tin on a flat baking tray and bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Allow the tart sit for 10 mins, then run a knife round the edge to release the pastry. Carefully flip the tart over onto a serving plate or board and scatter with the micro herbs to serve (if using).