Ingredients

• 250g/9oz ready-made puff pastry
• 2 red onions
• 3 fennel bulbs
• 1 red chilli
• 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• crushed
• salt and pepper
• 60g/2¼oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 50g/1¾oz grated parmesan (or a similar vegetarian hard cheese)

Directions

• Roll the pastry out into a circle large enough to cover a small ovenproof frying pan or tatin dish of about 20cm/8in in diameter. Place the pastry in the fridge to rest until needed.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Peel the onions and slice into thick rounds. Remove the outer sections of the fennel and cut each bulb into six pieces
• removing some of the woody core.
• Take the stalk off the chilli but leave it whole. Cut a slit down the length so the juices can escape and flavour the vegetables.
• Put all the vegetables into a roasting tin
• with the onions laid flat on the bottom of the tin. Pour over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add the crushed coriander seeds
• salt and pepper.
• Roast in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes
• turning occasionally but being careful to keep the onion rings in one piece.
• Directly in the frying pan or tatin dish
• mix the sugar with three tablespoons of water. Quickly bring to the boil and cook
• without stirring
• until golden-brown.
• Arrange all the vegetables in a decorative pattern in the frying pan or tin and press down tight. Sprinkle with the thyme and parmesan.
• Cover with the puff pastry and tuck in at the edges between the vegetables and the sides of the pan. Prick the pastry with a fork and bake for 25-30 minutes
• or until the puff pastry is golden-brown and fully cooked. Leave to cool for at least five minutes before turning upside down onto a serving dish.
• Slice and serve with a side salad.