Warm puff pastry tart with goat's cheese, figs, olives and capers

Ingredients

• 2 large onions
• Olive oil
• 1 knob of butter
• 150ml of double cream
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, rolled out to about 30cm by 40cm
• 1 potato
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a dash of milk
• 1 log of goats cheese
• 2 fresh figs
• 1 tbsp of mini capers
• 1 tbsp of black olives, stones removed
• 1 tsp of thyme leaves, picked
• 2 tbsp of pine nuts
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Skin the onions and cut in half. Remove the root then cut the onion into slithers.

2. Warm a wide-based pan and add some olive oil, then the onions. Flavour well with salt and fry gently, ensuring the onions are softened. Stir frequently, add the knob of butter after five minutes.

3. When the onions have totally lax and are soft to the bite, add the cream and simmer.

4. Move to a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. Season to taste and leave aside.

5. Heat the oven to 200˚C/Gas mark 6. Lay the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

6. Slice the potato into 1cm thick circles and place them in each corner of the tray. Cover the pastry sheet with another piece of parchment paper then lay another flat baking sheet on top.

7. Bake in the oven until golden, turning the tray midway. Once it is a pale gold hue, take the pastry out from the oven and brush it with egg wash, returning it to the oven for 2 minutes to glaze.

8. When chilled, store in a sealed container until needed or cover compactly in clingfilm.

9. Heat the oven to 190˚C/Gas mark 5. Spread the onion paste across the pastry base. Slice the goats cheese into circles about 0.5cm thick then arrange them on the pastry sheet.

10. Cut the figs into slim wedges and arrange them on the cheese and through the tart. Sprinkle the olives, pine nuts and capers over the pastry before scattering the thyme leaves on it.

11. Trickle with olive oil, flavour with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and bake in the oven until the cheese becomes softer – it should take approximately 6 or 7 minutes.

12. Using the parchment paper to help you, slide the tart on to a serving plate, trickle with a touch more olive oil and complete with a last sprinkling of pepper. Serve while still warm.

Recipe courtesy of Great British Chefs. For more great fig recipes visit: greatbritishchefs.com.