Mini Roasted Tomato Tatins

• Recipe by Joe Vitale

Vitale uses sweet, zesty little Black Cherry tomatoes in this riff on the classic upside-down caramelized apple tart from the Loire valley, but any small tomato will work. Vitale layers tomatoes, shallot marmalade and rounds of puff pastry in the cups of a mini-muffin pan, then bakes them to create clever hors d'oeuvres.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2. 12 Black Cherry or other small tomatoes
3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. 6 large shallots, thinly sliced
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
7. 2 tablespoons honey
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 1 pound all-butter puff pastry
10. All-purpose flour, for dusting
11. 1 tablespoon snipped chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Generously butter two 12-cup mini-muffin pans. Fold a 12-inch square of wax paper or parchment paper into quarters. Trace six 11/4-inch circles on the paper and cut through the layers to make 24 small disks. Line the bottom of each cup with a paper disk. Butter the paper.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and blanch just until the skins begin to pull away, about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice water. Drain and peel the tomatoes. Halve the tomatoes crosswise.
3. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and honey, season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat until the liquid has evaporated and the shallots are jamlike, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry 1/8 inch thick. Using a 13/4-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 24 rounds.
5. Set a tomato half, cut side down, in each muffin cup. Top each with a scant teaspoon of the shallot marmalade and a puff pastry round. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
6. Run a knife around the edge of each tatin. Set a baking sheet over the muffin tins and then invert, giving them a firm tap to release the tatins. Replace any tomatoes and shallots stuck to the muffin pan. Discard the paper disks, sprinkle with the chives and serve.

Make Ahead

The tatins can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature in an airtight container. Reheat in a 325° oven for 5 minutes.

Notes

One Serving 104 Calories, 6 gm Fat, 1.9 gm sat Total fat, 10 gm Carbohydrate, 1 gm Fiber.