Caramelised garam masala shallot tarte tatin

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the unpeeled shallots in a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, add the garlic and thyme and cover with foil. Roast until onions are just cooked, but still firm. Peel once they are cool enough to handle and set aside.

Roll the puff pastry out gently to a 4 mm thickness. Use a plate as a guide to cut out a 28 cm circle of pastry. Place the pastry into a refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Place the butter, sugar and water in a 20 cm oven-proof pan and melt gently over a low to medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and then bring to the boil until you have a dark caramel. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly before adding the Masala Rub, salt and pepper. Place the peeled shallots neatly onto the caramel so that they fit tightly against each other with no gaps in between. Gently place the chilled pastry over the shallots, tucking the edges in around the inside rim of the pan.

Place in a hot oven (200°C) for 25 - 30 minutes or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown in colour. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Cover the pan with a large flat plate and while holding the two firmly together, invert them and gently lift the pan away to reveal a beautifully caramelised shallot tart.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve with your favourite roast.

TIP: Individual tarts can be made using a muffin tray.

Simply make the caramel in a saucepan and then pour it into the muffin trays.