Fig, Onion & Goats Cheese Tarts

Fig, Onion & Goats Cheese Tarts

10 September 2023

Enjoy an Autumn delight: Fig, Onion & Goats Cheese Tart! Created by the talented James Hillery, a star from the Great British Bake Off, this recipe is a tantalising blend of seasonal flavors. Enjoy the captivating combination of succulent figs, sticky onions, and creamy goats cheese. Get ready to savor every bite as autumn takes center stage!
  • Recipes

Category

Starter

Serves

6

Preperation Time

40 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients

For The Rough Puff Pastry:

225g plain flour

200g chilled butter

180ml chilled water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg to glaze

For The Sticky Onions:

300g red onions

15g butter

1 heaped tablespoon soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Pinch salt

For The Filling

6 figs

150g goats cheese

Honey

Fresh thyme (optional)

Instructions

1Cut chilled butter into small cubes

2Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the butter

3Mix the butter around with a butter/dinner knife, to separate the cubes and coat them in flour. Do this gently to keep the butter in lumps

4Mix the water and lemon juice together in a jug and pour about three quarters into the flour and butter mixture

5Using a butter/dinner knife, stir and cut the contents of the bowl several times, turning the bowl around as you chop the butter into the flour, bringing the dough together

6The dough should be a little wet and sticky. If not add a little more of the reserved water

7Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and shape it into a rectangle about 30cm x 20cm. You want the butter cool but pliable so it stretches when being rolled rather than breaking through the dough

8Dust the worktop with flour, with the pastry vertically on the work surface, fold the bottom third of the pastry up onto the middle third, then the top third down onto the other thirds. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes

9Bring the pastry out of the fridge, with the folded edge to the sides (90 degrees to the way you rolled it the first time), roll the pastry again into the same size rectangle as the original narrow rectangle and fold in the same way again

10Chill again in the fridge. Repeat this twice more. After the last rolling stage, wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for two hours or leave overnight

11Slice the onions finely in half moons and add to a large frying pan along with the sugar, vinegar, butter and salt

12Cook the onions on a medium heat for 20 – 30 minutes until they go nice and sticky. Place into a bowl to cool

13Preheat the oven to 200C/180C (Fan)

14Roll out the pastry to a rectangle large enough to line two 6x9 inch tins with the rough puff pastry. Spread half of the cooled onions in each tart

15Quarter the figs and put 3 figs (12 quarters) in each tart

16Break apart the goats cheese and scatter half of the goats cheese into each tart

17Brush the pastry with beaten egg to glaze

18Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy

19To finish, drizzle with a little honey and sprinkle on some fresh thyme.

As autumn draws in and the seasons change, this fig, onion, and goats cheese tart is the perfect mix of flavours to comfort and delight. Created for us by James Hillery – 2017 Great British Bake Off Contestant – we hope you enjoy making it!