Upside Down Chicory Tart Recipes

UPSIDE-DOWN TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the bacon drippings for 8 to 10 seconds to melt, if necessary. Combine the tomatoes, onion, bacon drippings, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Coat the bottom and side of an 8- or 9-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Toss the tomato mixture with the lemon juice and asiago; spread evenly in the skillet. Place the puff pastry on top; trim the overhanging pastry with kitchen shears.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pastry is dark golden, about 50 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then place a large plate or platter on top of the skillet and invert the tart. Sprinkle with basil and let cool, about 5 more minutes. Cut into wedges.

UPSIDE DOWN APPLE TARTS

Steps:

• Make pastry cream:
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a paring knife into a small heavy saucepan. Add pod, milk, and 3 Tbsp sugar and bring just to a boil, whisking to dissolve sugar.
• Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk together whole egg and yolk in another bowl, then whisk in flour mixture until smooth.
• Add one third of hot milk mixture to yolk mixture (to temper) in a slow stream, whisking, then add to milk mixture remaining in saucepan, whisking. Bring custard to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.
• Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with wax paper, until no longer hot, at least 30 minutes.
• Make tarts:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin 1/8 inch thick and cut out 8 (6-inch) rounds using inverted bowl or plate as a guide. Punch out center of each round with cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheets.
• Discard vanilla pod and transfer pastry cream to pastry bag. Snip a 1/3-inch opening and pipe pastry cream onto pastry in a ring around center (there will be some cream left over). Arrange overlapping apple slices on pastry, covering the cream, then brush with melted butter.
• Bake tarts, switching position of sheets halfway through, until edges of apples are pale golden, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together corn syrup and water until smooth.
• Remove baking sheets from oven and flip each tart over with a large spatula. Generously brush pastry with some of corn syrup mixture.
• Continue to bake, switching position of sheets halfway through, until pastry is shiny and golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool 10 minutes.
• Serve tarts, pastry side up, warm or at room temperature.

UPSIDE-DOWN CHICORY TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, then drop in the lemon halves. Boil the chicory for 2-3 mins until just wilted. Scoop the chicory into a bowl of iced water, then drain and sit on kitchen paper to absorb all the excess liquid.
• Heat the butter and sugar in an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm in diameter. Cook for 4-5 mins until the sugar is turning golden and caramelising, then turn off the heat. Cram the chicory, cut-side down, in the caramel. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut to fit the pan. Scatter the cheese over the chicory, then drape over the pastry, tucking it down at the sides. Bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Leave to rest for 5 mins before turning out onto a plate. Serve in slices with a side salad of winter leaves and walnuts.

CARAMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and core pears.
• In a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet, with side parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook without stirring until sugar mixture forms a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on skillet and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and arrange over caramelized pears. Tuck edge around pears. Bake tart in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than skillet. As soon as tart has finished baking, invert plate over skillet and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert tart onto plate. (This is a bit scary, but it works!)
• Serve tart at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream or ice cream.

UPSIDE DOWN MUSHROOM GORGONZOLA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Set aside 12 pretty mushrooms slices. Put the rest of the mushrooms slices in a food processor and pulse until ground into small pieces, about 10 seconds. Add the Gorgonzola, flour, breadcrumbs, tarragon, basil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and eggs. Pulse until a thick paste is formed, about 30 seconds more.
• Gently roll out the puff pastry to a 10-inch square. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter to cut 12 rounds of dough. Poke the rounds with a fork.
• Lay 1 reserved mushroom slice in the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture over the mushroom in each cup and top with a puff pastry round.
• Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes in the pan before inverting the tartlets. Serve immediately.

UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add dry gelatin mix and cinnamon. Cook and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Arrange single layer of apples, cut-sides down, on bottom of skillet. Top with any remaining apples.
• Cook apples on medium-low heat 20 min. or until apples begin to soften and gelatin mixture starts to thicken. Place pie crust over apples. Place skillet in oven.
• Bake 20 min. or until crust is golden and apples are tender. Cool 3 min. Using oven mitts, place large serving plate on top of skillet. Carefully turn skillet over onto plate. Serve warm. Cut into 10 slices. Top each serving with about 2 Tbsp. whipped topping.