Tomato Tarte Tatin

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert made with apples and puff pastry created by the Tatin sisters at their hotel and restaurant in France. To make a Tarte Tatin, the apples are caramelized and placed at the bottom of a baking pan, then topped with puff pastry before being baked, flipped and served. This savory version uses the same method, but in place of the apples calls for sweet cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions. Instead of juices of tomatoes running all over and making the crust soggy, the crust in this is satisfyingly crisp for at least an hour. This Tarte Tatin makes good use of little colorful summer cherry tomatoes, which have the most poppable texture and sweet tomato flavor. Serve this savory Tarte Tatin with a simple green salad for an elegant lunch, or as part of a brunch spread.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you use instead of a Tarte Tatin pan?

You can use a cast-iron skillet, springform pan (as we’ve done here), stainless steel or an oven safe non-stick skillet instead of the Tarte Tatin pan.
How do you keep a Tarte Tatin from getting soggy?

Be sure to blot the tomatoes and onions dry before topping with the puff pastry to make sure everything stays crisp and not soggy.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

To halve cherry tomatoes quickly, use two identical plastic deli container lids. Put the tomatoes in one lid, cover with the other and press down. Slice the tomatoes horizontally through the gap with a sharp knife.

If you’re in a hurry, you can cook the tomatoes gently on the stove top to release some of the moisture, then drain and make the Tarte Tatin. The flavors may not be as concentrated as if you had roasted but it will be much faster.

Make ahead

The tomatoes can be roasted up to three days in advance and refrigerated.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1/2 cup yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from 1 [17.3-ounce] pkg.), thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place sugar and vinegar in a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet; heat over low, swirling and tilting skillet occasionally, until mixture is light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low; add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and swirl skillet to spread. Stir in onion, thyme, and salt; cook, stirring often, until onion is lightly caramelized and sauce is deep golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; arrange tomatoes, cut sides down, on top of onion slices.
Place skillet in preheated oven, and bake until tomato skins are wrinkly and have released juices, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Transfer tomatoes from skillet using a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Transfer onion slices to a paper towel-lined plate; discard remaining juice. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
While oven is preheating, coat a 9-inch springform pan with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Gently pat roasted tomatoes using a paper towel to remove extra moisture; arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in an even layer in prepared springform pan until all tomato halves are used. Pat onion mixture dry using a paper towel; place onion slices over tomatoes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Unfold puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll into a 10-inch square, and cut into a 10-inch round. Carefully center and place round pastry over onion slices, tucking in edges. Prick pastry using the tines of a fork in a handful of spots.
Bake at 425°F until crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer springform pan to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges to loosen; remove springform pan ring from pan. Center a plate over pastry crust; carefully invert tarte tatin onto plate. Garnish with additional Parmesan and thyme. Slice and serve immediately.