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This particular recipe provides a quick interpretation on the French onion tart, converting a handful of leftover pastry into a impromptu delicacy. Save and collect any trimmings into a round mass and roll out again whenever needed. Dough freezes beautifully in the freezer, and by omitting two laborious procedures in the standard preparation – preparing the pastry and cooking slowly the onions – this dish comes together much more quickly. In its place, the onions are heated inverted, softening and caramelizing beneath a blanket of dough with small fish and brined olives for a fast, fun twist on a French classic. And if you have a smaller amount of dough, you can always cut down the method.

Fast Upside-Down Pissaladière Tarts

The recent wave of inverted pastries, which went viral on social media and photo-sharing apps a recently, may have begun with a tasty and straightforward sweet pastry creation or an inspirational savory tart that even resulted in a whole book on flipped dishes. Additionally, I have been experimenting with inverted baking lately, from an lengthy vegetable pastry to these speedy pissaladière tartlets. It’s a simple, creative way to create something that feels especially impressive.

Yields 4 single servings

• 1 sweet onion
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 anchovies (or 4, for a less intense taste profile)
• Brined olives, to taste
• 120g dough – puff or shortcrust works also

Warm up the oven to 410F/210C. Peel and clean the onion, then slice into four thick, cross-sections. Prepare a stovetop-safe oven sheet with baking paper, then imagine where you will position each round of onion. Sprinkle those locations with olive oil and sweetener, then season. Lay two anchovies on top of each flavored area and top them with a slice of onion. Nestle a few olives among the onions, then season with a little more fat, sweetener, seasoning and pepper.

Turn on two adjacent burners to a warm setting, put the tray on top of the rings and leave the onions to simmer untouched for five minutes.

Meanwhile, on a sprinkled with flour surface, flatten the sheets and cut it into four rectangles sufficiently sized to enclose each slice of onion. Carefully place one dough piece on top of each piece of onion, flatten along the sides with the reverse of a utensil, then bake for twenty minutes, until the pastry is browned. Set a plate on top of the pastry tray, then flip to flip the tarts on to the surface. Gently remove the parchment and present.