This impressive side dish or starter course is dramatic, absolutely beautiful, and so sweet you’ll mistake it for dessert. You won’t believe how easy it is to make something this pretty. Just try it! Choose a variety of colors in your cherry tomatoes for maximum visual impact.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the skillet
- 2 medium red onions, diced
- Sea salt
- 1½ pounds small cherry tomatoes, left whole
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 grated lemon zest
- 1 to 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
Pie Crust
- 1½ cups whole wheat pastry or sprouted whole wheat flour
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Chilled spring or filtered water
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a large, oven-safe skillet. To make the Filling
- While the oven is warming, place the skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and onions. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the skillet, and top them with the tomatoes, covering the onions completely. Sprinkle with sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and lemon zest. To make the Crust
- Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix in the oil with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Slowly add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough gathers into a ball. It should be not too sticky, but not too dry—the ideal dough will be moist but will not stick to your hands.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment until it is 1 inch larger than the skillet, then carefully drape it over the tomato mixture. Cut off any excess crust, leaving an edge of ¼ inch. Fold this inward and crimp all the way around to form a decorative rim of crust. Cut a few decorative slits in the crust to release steam. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the crust is deeply golden and the tomatoes are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the rim of the skillet to loosen the crust. Place a plate that is slightly larger than the skillet over the tatin and carefully invert it onto the plate (replacing any tomatoes and onions that might stick on top). Serve warm, sliced into wedges. You may also serve the tatin right from the skillet, slicing it into wedges.