Caramelized beetroot tarte tatin

Beetroot tarte tatin

I just can’t shake off that Christmas spirit. As soon as December 1st arrived, the kids opened their chocolate Advent calendar and I started unpacking the Christmas ornaments stored in the attic. I had been eyeing the packed boxes for weeks, patiently waiting for the right moment. I couldn’t wait to meet our old friends again, the ballerina that Mia refuses to part with after every Christmas, the spaced-out monkey, the dog Hudson sadly broke two years ago, whose spirit remains intact ever since. And those cubes, my all-time favourite… For this special occasion, I wanted a to make a festive meal winning me back to childhood days. I made a caramelized beetroot tarte tatin, flavoured with red onion and balsamic vinegar. The deep-red velvet color is so theatrical, perfect for this magical moment . There I was, a plate on my lap with a slice of this tarte, enjoying each bite as the luscious crème fraîche generously coated the beetroots and croustillant pastry. May the holiday season begin!

Beetroot tarte tatin slice

My Christmas ornaments

Caramelized beetroot tarte tatin

Ingredients:

800-900 g beetroots/ up to 2 pounds beetroots (approx. medium-sized 6 beetroots cooked and peeled)
1 large red onion (sliced)
2 tbsp brown sugar
40 g/ 3-4 tbsp butter + butter to line the cake pan
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper (for seasoning)

Pastry:
For the shortcrust pastry:
200 g/ 1 & 1/2 cup plain flour
125 g/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and sliced in cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tbsp cold water

In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and mix using your hands until dough is crumbly. Make a well in the center, add egg and water. Mix well until dough is soft and form a ball. Roll dough on a floured surface, adding flour if necessary if dough is too sticky. With a rolling-pin, roll dough large enough to cover the cake pan.

For serving:
Crème fraîche (or sour cream) – 1 tbsp per person
A large handful of chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F

Remove the skin from the cooked beetroots and slice in quarters. In a large frying pan, heat the brown sugar. As soon as it’s starting to melt, add the butter and stir. Add the beetroots and red onion, fry (on a medium to high heat) for 10-12 minutes, until they start to caramelize, add balsamic vinegar, reduce for 2 minutes until sauce is thick and glossy. Set aside.

To assemble:
Butter a round cake pan, layer the beetroots so the surface is entirely covered (try to pick out the red onion for the surface layer) – make sure to ‘display’ them nicely as the tart will be inverted. Add the red onions and sauce. Place the pastry sheet on top and tuck in at the edges. Prick the pastry with a fork all over. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out gently. Place on a serving plate. (Don’t worry if a few pieces of beetroot fall out-of-place, you can simply re-arrange them like a puzzle).

Hound

38 thoughts on “Caramelized beetroot tarte tatin

  1. Great timing Mimi, there’s a pastry case in my fridge begging to be used. Caramelized beetroot? Sounds lovely! Will be a weekend recipe for sure. Btw, it’s your delicious French onion soup for dinner tonight 😉

  2. I just caved in on the Christmas decorations yesterday. Wow was it a ton of work to get to them in the attic but oh so worth it. I am a bit upside-downaphobic but this sounds too tasty (and simple) not to try.

  3. I’ve had a few savory tarte tatins, but never a beet root. Sounds and looks like such a lovely idea. Tomorrow I’ll have to grab some beets at the market and give it a try for lunch on Saturday. I’m having some friends over for lunch and will let you know how it turns out.

    My cats and I enjoy the Christmas season, but don’t do much decoration anymore. We have a wreath on the front door and a creche on the dining table. The spirit of the season is ever present. Christmas blessings to you and your family.

  4. I get such a kick out of the fact that so many of the things currently growing in Medoc are growing 10 miles away from me in California. As always, thank you so much for the lovely writing, recipe, and pictures. I will definitely try this out!

  5. The beetroot tarte tatin looks so dramatic! It sounds delicious too. We’ve been holding off for the snow before pulling out the decorations, and I’m beyond excited that we’re supposed to get 6 inches of snow this weekend! That will really get me in the holiday spirit!

  6. Beautiful site and these photographs are stunning! Excited to try my hand at your Icelandic cakes- I have been to Iceland several times and am in love with it. Thank you for the conversions on your recipes! xxoo

  7. Hello mimi,

    First of all waaauw what a great website! And the photographs… I makes me wanna come to médoc with my husband & son to discover!

    I’m planning to make the beetroot tart this weekend, but what size of cake pan should I use? Thank you very much in advance! I’ll continue reading your blog!

    Kind regards,

    Stéphanie

  8. j’ai fait la tarte tatin caramélisée aux betteraves, je l’ai réussie ! alors je l’ai refaite encore ! je l’ai encore réussie !!!
    J’habite Macau dans le Médoc (le plus beaux village du Monde) dont la spécialité est l’Artichaut. Mimi auriez vous des recettes à l’artichaut de Macau dans vos tiroirs ???
    merci pour tout ce beau et tout ce bon dans un seul blog !

  9. I must say: very beautiful pictures, they really do remind me of Christmas. Very complementary to the (also beautiful) website design. It was pleasant just reading the recipe. Oh and the tarte tatin was simply splendid. I think I made a mistake by using a small pan (the beets might not have been caramelized enough and there was no butter left for the balsamic vinegar) but it still turned out delicious.

  10. Beautiful tart.This looks so yummy and rich, perfect elevation of such a common root to such a beautiful food. Thank you for sharing.

  11. First, congratulates on your book! It is on my Christmas list. Question on the beets, you say to use “cooked beets”, how do you cook the beets prior to starting the recipe?

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