Green Tomato Tarte Tatin

We had a ton of tomato plants this year, and at the end of the season we had a ton of green tomatoes that I didn't want to go to waste... so we cooked them.  Green tomatoes (of "fried green tomatoes" fame) are really just unripe tomatoes of just about any variety.  When cooked, they have a tart but tasty flavor - similar to a green apple.

Funnily enough, I still haven't made the classic fried dish, but this recipe is definitely a keeper.  The result is a savory cousin of the classic tarte tatin.  It makes a very nice main dish for a lunch or light dinner.

If you don't have an oven safe skillet, you can transfer the cooked tomatoes to a pie plate or similar for the oven portion of the dish.

Green Tomato Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
6 tbsp. butter, frozen
1 egg
1/4 cup ice water
5 to 6 large green tomatoes (or equivalent amount of smaller tomatoes), sliced 1 inch thick
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and Parmesan cheese. Grate in frozen butter, and mix it into a fine crumb. Add one egg and stir that in. Add ice water. Knead very slightly, and draw dough into a ball. Wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large oven safe saucepan, over medium heat, melt a few tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add the tomatoes and shallots, and stir very gently, letting them get soft and begin to brown. Add a teaspoon or so of thyme. When the sugar and butter start to thicken and reduce, add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, to deglaze the pan. Cook until the liquid is quite thick and syrupy, and the tomatoes and shallots are soft and slightly brown.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.  Set the rolled dough over the cooked tomatoes and tuck in the edges all around.  Bake a 400 for 1/2 hour until the crust is brown and juices start to seep out the sides.  Remove from oven and flip onto a pie plate.  Slice and serve immediately.




Original link:
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/10/20/green-tomato-tarte-tatin/