Preparation time: 35 minutes
Assembling and cooking time: 50 mins
Note: onion marmalade needs to be made a day ahead to improve flavour,
but can be made several days ahead, and kept chilled.
Serves 6 - 8
INGREDIENTS
4
tbs/ 60ml olive oil
750g onions, peeled and quite thinly sliced.
1 jar (470g, 270g drained) morello cherries in syrup- preferably
stoned
100mls vegetarian medium or dry red wine
½ tsp / 2.5ml ground cinnamon
2 large bay leaves
2tbs / 30ml light soft brown sugar
350g Quorn pieces (chicken style)
250g frozen vegetarian puff pastry
1 free range egg, beaten
To Garnish: Edible gold dust (optional) or sprigs of thyme
METHOD
1. Heat 2tbs / 30ml oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and stir thoroughly
to coat with oil. Saute, stirring now and again, until brown but not
burned.
2.
Drain cherries, reserving juice. Put cherries aside. Measure 100ml
juice and add to
browned onions,
together with the wine, cinnamon and
bay leaves. Simmer very gently, without stirring, for about 1 ½ hours
until soft, and the liquid has evaporated. You can lift the edges of
the onion mass in the pan to check they’re not burning towards
the end of the cooking time, but avoid stirring as this will make the
onions go mushy and they need to retain their shape. Put into a container,
cover with kitchen paper first (to make sure no condensation liquid gathers)
and then a lid, and allow to cool overnight.
3. Next day, preheat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6 and oil a large,
non-stick baking sheet. Heat remaining 2tbs / 30ml oil in a large frying
pan and fry the Quorn, stirring all the time, until lightly coloured.
Allow to cool. (this can be done the day before also).
4.
Roll out the pastry to measure 25cm x 30cm and place on the large,
oiled, non-stick
baking
sheet. Pinch together each corner to make a point – the
pastry should look like a tray with pointed raised corners and flat sides.
5. Remove the bay leaves from the cold onion marmalade and discard.
Take one third of the onion mixture and spread evenly over the pastry
tray, leaving a 2.5cm border all the way round. Sprinkle the cooled fried
Quorn evenly all over, then carefully cover with the remaining onion
marmalade. You will have to do this a spoonful at a time to make sure
that the Quorn is completely covered.
6.
Arrange the drained cherries in neat rows on top of the onion marmalade.
Brush the whole
of the
tart (pastry and cherries) with beaten egg and
bake in the hot oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the pastry is well
puffed up.
7. Garnish with edible gold dust (optional) or sprigs of thyme and serve
hot, warm or cold.
Vegan version:
1) In place of Quorn: use 325g natural tofu, pressed well between kitchen
paper to drain. Slice horizontally into 3 slices and fry in olive oil
until golden. Cool, then chop into pieces and use in place of the Quorn.
2) In place of the egg: use 1tbs soya flour mixed with 1tsp oil, 1tsp
caster sugar and about 2tbs cold water to make a thin paste.
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