Cucumber and Onion Upside-down Tart

Name: Cucumber and Onion Upside-down Tart
Yield: Serves 8–10
Ingredients: 6 oz (175 g) plain flour, plus extra for flouring; 2 tablespoons (2 x 15 ml spoon) cold water; 1 large egg (size 1–2); 2 oz (50 g) cheese, grated finely; 4 oz (100 g) butter; 2 oz (50 g) butter; salt and black pepper; 1 large cucumber; 1–1¼ lb (450–550 g) Spanish onions (approx. 2), peeled, quartered and sliced thinly; ½ pint (300 ml) soured cream, to serve with the tart; salt and black pepper; ½ pint (300 ml) soured cream, to serve with the tart

Preparation info

Serves
8–10

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

First Impressions

By Josceline Dimbleby

Published 1984

About

This is made rather like the French upside-down apple tarts and has the same advantages of crisp pastry and a decorative shiny top. It turns out as a mild mixture of cooked cucumber and Spanish onion on a base of cheese pastry.

Ingredients

For the pastry

6 oz (175 g) plain flour, plus extra for flouring
4 oz (

Pie
Vegetarian

Method

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Work in the grated cheese. Whisk the egg lightly with the water and stir into the pastry mixture with a wooden spoon until it sticks together. Using floured hands gather the mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Next, take the large cucumber and cut into thin rou