Chicory Tarte Tatin

Chicory Tarte Tatin......

 6 large whole heads of chicory

100 g butter

100 g sugar

50 g tin anchovies, (optional)

375 g fresh ready made shortcrust pastry

few sprigs thyme

50 g walnuts

250 g cooked beetroot

½ small red onion

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 raddichio

100 g fresh goats cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 220 C/425 F/Gas 7 Trim the base of the chicory heads. Drain and finely chop the anchovies. (if using) Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks.

In a 28 cm (11 inch) oven proof frying pan or cake tin, (not with removeable base) melt the butter with the sugar over a medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is starting to caramelise. Add the whole chicory, chopped anchovies and thyme leaves. Season and cook gently, turning occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes or until just starting to soften and turning amber coloured. Remove from heat. Poke the walnuts in the spaces in between.

Roll out the pastry to just about 2.5-5cm larger than the pan and prick all over with a fork. Slide the pastry on top of the chicory tucking the edges down the inside of the pan. The rhubarb should be cooked by now but if not, transfer it to the middle shelf and continue cooking. Put the tarte tatin on the top shelf and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Keep warm while you have your starter.

Drain and finely chop the beetroot. Finely chop the onion and place both in a small bowl. Stir in the red wine vinegar and season well. Remove the core of the raddichio with a sharp knife and separate the leaves.

To serve the Tarte Tatin, crumble over the goats cheese and cut into wedges. Place a couple of whole raddichio leaves to create a little bowl on each of 6 dinner plates and add a spoonful of the beetroot salad into the centre of each.