Tomato "Tarte Tatin"

 This dish is taken (and only very modeslty adapted from America's Test Kitchen's recipe). It is the first recipe in the linked video here. I used more tomatoes than the recipe called for. And at my local store, the Romas were bigger than Elle used in the video. Also, I used the convection feature of my oven, so the first time the tomatoes were a little overcooked. But I have not made it half a dozen times, and I think it is a keeper.

The whole skillet (handle and all) will go into the oven, so make sure you use an oven safe one. Even though the dish has tomatoes, my carbon steel skillet is sufficiently seasoned that the mixture can go in to it. 

Ingredients

A bit more than 1/3 cup of sherry vinegar

2 T white sugar

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t finely, freshly ground black pepper

8 sprigs of thyme, minced very finely. I have also used dried Greek Oregano.

1T butter

2 medium shallots, minced very finely

2 1/2 lbs Roma or plum tomatoes. As Elle says, do not attempt to use beefsteak or other large round varieties

Store bought puff pastry (I use Dufour), rolled/shaped to a 10" round and chilled

Method

With shelf on a middle rackm start the oven to preheat at 400F (conventional, 375F fan assisted). I keep a pizza stone permanently in the oven.

Place the sherry, sugar, salt, pepper into a 10" oven proof skillet. Heat over medium heat to dissolve the sugar and salt. Reduce a bit (Elle says, about the same consistency as maple syrup).

Meanwhile, prep the tomatoes. Core them, cut them in half lenghtwise and remove and discard the jelly and seeds. You should have just the flesh and skin.

Once the sherry has thickened sufficiently, add the butter and allow to dissolve. Then the shallots and thyme. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the shallots have softened a bit.

Put the prepared tomatoes into the pan, and toss to coat. Arrange the tomatoes skin side down in the pan. You want it to be quite crowdwed in there.

Bake the tomatoes in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. At least check at 45 minutes. The tops will have shrivelled and darkened and there should be no liquid. Do be careful when opening the dooor of the oven as there is a lot of steam.

Take the skillet out of the oven. Drape the pastry round over the tomatoes. Dock the pastry with a fork (I didn't do this one time and it way over puffed!)

Place the skillet back in the oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan as much as possible - and bake for 15 more.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool while still in the pan. (Elle says 8 minutes, mine varied from 10 - 20 minutes).

Turn out onto a cutting board or servimg plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.