Caramelised Onion Tart with Cheddar Cheese

Makes 12 tarts

Ingredients

• 2 red onions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sugar
• balsamic vinegar
• ¼ lb short crust pastry
• 2oz mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Peel, halve and shred the onions. 
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a saucepan and add the onions, thyme and garlic.
3. Cook for about 20 minutes. Add the sugar to caramelise the onions followed by a splash of balsamic vinegar. Allow to cool.
4. Roll out the short crust pastry and allow the pastry to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. Remove from the fridge and using a 5cm (2in) round cutter, cut 10 discs of pastry.
6. Place each round of pastry in a 12-mould shallow bun tin. Put back in the fridge for a further 10 minutes. The pastry should just cover the base of the bun moulds.
7. Once the onion mix is cool, place a heaped teaspoon of the mix in the pastry. Flatten the mix down a little and sprinkle each tart with grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven (180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4) for 10 minutes. Serve warm.