Caramelized onion tarte tatin with goat cheese, figs, and olives

Savory and sweet, this caramelized onion tarte tatin is an absolutely delicious side dish or vegetarian main. The onions get wonderfully caramelized at the bottom of the pan, and figs bring a hint of sweetness. Rounding out the savory flavors are goat cheese, olives, and caraway. Under it all is a buttery and crispy puff pastry.

This caramelized onion tarte tatin feels elegant, but it’s a one-pan dish that isn’t too difficult to make. We absolutely loved this recipe at our house, and I hope you will, too!

What is tarte tatin?

Tarte tatin is French upside-down pie. Cook it with the crust on top, then flip it out so the crust finishes on the bottom.

The original tarte tatin used apples, but today countless sweet and savory versions exist. This type of tarte is so wonderful because the crust is perfectly crispy, not soggy, and the filling gets lovely caramelization.

Tarte tatin in general is fairly easy to make. You start cooking the filling in a pan on the stove, top it with a pie crust, then stick the whole pan in the oven (or transfer to a pie dish). Once it’s done, you carefully flip the tarte onto a serving plate.

A short history of tarte tatin

The tarte gets its name from the Tatin sisters who ran a hotel-restaurant from 1894-1906 in Lamotte-Beuvron (a couple hours south of Paris by car). The popular version of the story says one of the sisters was making apple pie, forgot the crust, then put it on top to correct her mistake, and voilà the tarte tatin (or Tatin) was born.

The more likely story, though, is that this upside-down tarte had long been a regional specialty, but it was the Tatin sisters who made it famous…sort of. As the story continues, it was a sneaky Parisian restaurant owner who loved the tarte, but the sisters wouldn’t give him the recipe. The Parisian restaurant owner didn’t give up: he sent his pastry chef to pose as the gardener to steal the recipe. At least he had the decency to name the tarte “Tatin.”

Tips for making this caramelized onion tarte tatin

• Preheat a tray in the lower part of your oven to put your pan on. This will help the bottom caramelize better.
• Make sure your onions are starting to get some color before turning off the stove. The onions finish caramelizing in the oven, but they do need to have a good start before going in.
• Ensure the onions caramelize well by adding a tablespoon of sugar. Normally I wouldn’t add sugar when caramelizing onions, but I do in this recipe because it works well flavor-wise. If all goes well, you’ll get a few crispy caramelized bits that are quite delicious.

Bon appétit !

Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!

If you’re serving this onion tarte tatin as a side, here are a couple recipe ideas from my collection that would go well: lentil salad with goat cheese & pickled onions or this cheese & hazelnut soufflé. 😊

If you’re a pie lover, you might also like my authentic quiche Lorraine or this roasted red pepper and tomato tart.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Caramelized onion tarte tatin

A classic French onion tarte, revisited with goat cheese, figs, and olives

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Rest time5 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: French

Keyword: figs, goat cheese, olives, onions

Servings: 3

Equipment

• Oven-safe pan 27 cm (10.6 in) diameter (see note 1)

Ingredients

• 500 g (17.6 oz) onion
• 50 g (3 ½ tbsp) butter
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 4 dried figs about 65 g
• 50 g (1.8 oz) pitted green olives chopped (see note 2)
• 100 g (3.5 oz) fresh goat cheese
• 1 puff pastry cut to the shape of your pan

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 220 °C with a large baking sheet (or pizza stone) in the oven. The pan will be placed on top of this baking sheet later.
• Start caramelizing the onions in the pan: Cut the onion vertically into slices about 6 mm (1/4-inch) thick.
• In a wide oven-safe pan (mine was 27 cm (10.6 inch) diameter), melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the onions and the sugar. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time to help avoid burning the onions. You may also add a spoonful of water as necessary to avoid burning if the pan dries out.
• Add the other ingredients to the veg: Add the salt, black pepper, dried thyme, caraway seeds, and dried figs. Cook another 5 minutes or until the onions have taken on a nice golden color, but not totally caramelized.
• Stir in the chopped olives. Crumble in the fresh goat cheese. Don’t stir too much at this point to keep the goat cheese chunks intact.
• Put on the pastry: Lay the pastry over the vegetables in the pan, and tuck in the edges. Cut 4 little slits in the top of the dough to let steam escape.
• Bake: Place the pan in the oven on top of the baking sheet, and bake in the lower half of the oven at 220 °C for 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
• Take the pan out of the oven, and let rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a large plate or cutting board. (See note 3)

Notes

1. If you use a larger pan, the filling layer will be thinner. Feel free to increase the amount of filling accordingly.
2. Choose an oil-packed or deli-style variety rather than canned olives.
3. To help avoid burning your hand if you forget the pan handle is hot, try putting an oven mitt over the handle as a reminder!