Ingredients

• 10 banana shallots
• cut into round circles about a 1cm/½in thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
• 50ml/2fl oz dry Madeira
• 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
• 20g/¾oz fresh thyme
• leaves picked
• 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made all-butter puff pastry
• plain flour
• for dusting
• sea salt and white pepper
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 45g/1½oz butter
• chilled and cut into cubes
• 200g/7oz goats’ cheese
• preferably Dorstone or Tymsborough goats’ cheese
• at room temperature
• cut into small pieces
• 200ml/7fl oz single cream
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• zest and juice only
• 1 bunch fresh watercress
• 50ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 50g/1¾oz chives
• snipped

Directions

• Season the shallots lightly with salt and white pepper. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and the butter and cook until foaming. Add the shallots and cook until caramelised.
• Drain off the butter and return the shallots to the heat. Add the vinegar and cook until it has evaporated. Add the Madeira and cook until it too has evaporated.
• Add a little chicken stock
• reduce to a simmer and place some parchment on top. Gently cook until the shallots are getting a little soft. Remove from the heat and leave to rest and suck up all the flavours.
• For the balsamic caramel
• put the sugar in a saucepan. Add a little water and stir so it’s like a paste. Slowly bring to the boil (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully.). The liquid will boil clear and very slowly it will start to turn amber.
• When the sugar syrup is golden
• remove from the heat and at arm’s length add the balsamic. Leave for a few moments
• then whisk in the butter until the sauce has a butterscotch consistency. Season with salt and pepper and taste; it may take a little more balsamic to cut the sweetness and a little more seasoning. Set aside.
• For the whipped goats’ cheese
• put the cheese in a food processor with the paddle attachment and turn the processor on to slow. Add a little cream just to lighten the consistency (you may not need it all). Add a little lemon juice to taste (reserve the zest for garnish). Spoon into a bowl and cover with cling film
• then set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Spoon the caramel into four blini pans to lightly cover the bottom of each pan. Add some thyme to each pan
• then add the shallots.
• Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and cut out four circles just larger than the blini pans. Place the pastry over the shallots and
• using the end of a spoon
• push it into them all the way around. Make a small hole in the middle. Bake for 20–30 minutes
• or until cooked through.
• Leave the tarts for 10 minutes to soak up all that wonderful flavour. While they are still warm
• turn them out onto a plate and serve with a spoon of the goats’ cheese in the middle of each tart. Top with watercress
• a little olive oil
• the lemon zest and chives.