A unique take on a French classic.
Welcome to Put on a Spread, a recipe series that takes you inside the kitchens – and dining rooms – of some of our favourite home cooks. For this instalment, Masterchef contestant Minoli de Silva shares her recipe for a carrot Tart Tatin with a Sri Lankan twist.
France is known for creating and serving some of the most divine dishes there are. One such treat is Tarte Tatin, an upside-down tart consisting of pastry baked over slices of fruit arranged in caramelised sugar.
This classic French dish typically features apples or pears, but Minoli de Silva's iteration utilises carrots and spices for a delicious savoury flavour that pays homage to her Sri Lankan heritage. The carrots deliver sweetness, the spices add a wonderful aroma, the coconut milk adds a creamy note, and the golden pastry adds a deliciously flaky texture.
This recipe makes for a wonderful brunch bite or light dinner.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry (one sheet)
- 7 large carrots washed, cut into 3cm pieces.
- Coconut oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp Maras chilli
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 cm ginger
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 lime
Method
Set oven to 220C fan forced.
Fry off garlic, ginger and onion in oil until fragrant.
Add the carrots and spices and cook for a few minutes until the carrots get some golden brown colour on them.
Add the coconut milk in and cook for another 3 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Remove from the heat and arrange the carrots neatly in a pan with the larger carrots around the edge and the smaller carrots in the middle. Make a few holes at the top for the steam to escape.
Place the puff pastry on the top and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Carefully turn over the tray onto a serving board and give a hard tap on the top to get it to come out in one piece.
Serve with chopped up carrot tops, a squeeze of fresh lime, a sprinkle of flaky salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.
For more from Minoli follow her at @minoli.desilva
Photography by Maddie Roux. Styling by Beck Simon.
