We were talking about Golden Books the other day. I got to reminiscing about my favourite ones and I recall my very favourite ever Golden Book was one called Elephant on Wheels. It was about an elephant who loved to roller skate. I loved it because I was forever being told not to do something by my parents. I have always hated being told what to do and so did this elephant Petunia. So she hid her roller skates in clever little places like in the garden as a bunch of flowers, the shower curtain rail and anywhere else that she could find. I admired how ingenious she was.
Rebelliousness aside – and that’s a bigger story, I loved her cunning. It’s a similar cunning and adoration for pastry that has me seeking out even more ways to eat pastry. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the apple tarte tatin. I’m a little too familiar with it if you know what I mean. Give me an pastry dessert and I turn into a dessert seeking missile. But tarte tatin can also be done as a savoury dish.
I found this recipe in the new Serge Dansereau cookbook “French Kitchen” where he cooks food that is made for home cooking ($59.95 by Harper Collins and look out for a giveaway soon 
). Isn’t it funny how quickly time passes. When we went to his Bathers Pavilion SIFF event last year he was talking about writing the book and now a year later here it is. Everyone discussed how much people wanted to do home cooking ever since Masterchef hit our shores (and now the kid version is here-how scarily good are these kids?).
I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. I had to ditch the caramel recipe which just called for brown sugar to be melted in a pan without any water but this crystallised on me and became a hideous mess so I used a reliable toffee recipe. I also thought that the temperature to bake the pastry given was too low as they specified 180c/350F. It remained pale until I turned it up to 200c/400F and it then became golden on top. The pastry was crunchy, the beetroot soft and yielding and the caramelised eschallots gave it a further sweetness. Still, it’s possibly good that I don’t get too carried away seeking out new ways to eat pastry. You may end up seeing a new Golden Book about me called “Elephant Eats Pastry” 
So tell me Dear Reader, were/are you rebellious?
Beetroot and Walnut Tarte Tatin for Two
Adapted from Serge Dansereau’s French Kitchen
Serves two along with a salad
- 2 tablespoons rock salt
- 5 small beetroots slightly larger than the eschallots
- 60grams/2zs butter divided into two
- 8 eschallots, peeled and separated
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 2x round, individual tins at least 10cms/4 inches in diameter
- 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine or raspberry vinegar
For candied walnuts
- 50grams /1.7 ozs/ 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 75grams caster sugar
- 15grams water
Eschallots
1. Preheat oven to 180c/350F. Wash and scrub beetroot and then place on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle over with the salt and bake for 90 minutes until a knife can be easily inserted. Remove from oven and cool. Using disposable gloves, peel the skin off with your fingers or with a paring knife. Cut in half.
2. Meanwhile while the beetroot is baking, prepare the eschallots. Melt half of the butter (30 grams or 1 oz) in a medium saucepan with a lid. Gently cook the eschallots for about five minutes. Then add 2 tablespoons of water (have the lid ready to place over it) and then cover with the lid and cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Candied walnuts
3. Make the candied walnuts. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the water ensuring to brush down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to catch any single sugar crystals. Once all of the sugar has been dissolved, turn heat up to medium high and wait until it starts to turn a caramel colour. Do not walk away or get distracted while this is taking place. Once it has turned partially caramel, remove it from the heat and stir in the walnut pieces. The caramel will continue to cook. Then place onto lined baking sheet to set.
Raspberry vinegar, brown sugar and butter in the base of the tin
4. When all of the components are ready, preheat the oven to 200c/400F. Place the baking tins in the oven to preheat. Using the base of the tins, trace four circles in the puff pastry and double up the discs so that there are two discs of puff pastry each with two layers. Dock each disc lightly with a fork.
Placing the beetroot and eschallots
5. Assemble the tarte tatin. Divide the butter in half and remove the tins from the oven and place the butter in each tin-the tins are hot so the butter will melt. Then add 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar in each tin and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar in each. Place the beetroot halves and eschallots in an alternating pattern. Place the puff pastry discs on top and then place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes until the puff pastry is golden.
Placing the docked pastry rounds on top
6. To serve, invert onto a plate where the pastry will end up on the base. Serve with a salad and the candied walnuts.
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55 Comments | Add your own
Yum this looks so delicious Lorraine! I love both beetroot and walnuts (I go crazy for walnuts!), this is just perfect!
Gorgeous! I’m very rebellious too =P
It looks wonderfully delicious…and yes I remember that golden book fondly!
You come at us with awesome food ideas so often that I don’t think I’d ever have time to try them all 8). This looks awesome for the rainy weather we’ve been having. Love the earthiness of beets.
You know, of course, that I have a garden full of baby beets? Actually, there’s five in the fridge right this minute, waiting to be used. Perfect timing as always, L, thanks!
Ohh, that looks so good! The photo’s are fantastic, but I just can’t imagine it as a savoury… I may need a web smell program
yes I was rebellious and arguementative,y mother jus sits back and smiles because my children have a similar nature. Goodluck 
It’s funny, I just got back from France where I sampled many a tarte tatin in restaurants, searching for a perfect one. Sadly everything was just sliced and reheated, making the pastry soft and soppy.
This one you’ve made sounds divine and I’m already thinking a bit of crumbled goats cheese would top it off nicely!
hehe I was not rebellious at all – more of an annoying teenager I think
Great recipe Lorraine!
I literally squealed in delight when I saw this, Lorraine!! I’m in love with the idea of a beetroot tarte tatin! Again, we are completely on the same page. The other day I was thinking of doing a concord grape tarte tatin with pearl onions and balsamic vinegar, then maybe topping with some crumbed bleu cheese once it’s out of the oven? I may have to try your recipe first though, it sounds absolutely amazing!
I love your take on the tarte tatin! These are absolute beauties.
REbellious? Moi???
*kisses* HH
Ah pastry. Roll me up in it and bake me please. Any opportunity to eat pastry is a happy one. (and mini spring form pans…why don’t I have them?)
Wow, a savoury tarte tatin? I never thought of this before! I’m really into beetroot at the moment too.
OMG – this looks devine!! I am a beetroot fiend, so I love this. I was a goodie two shoes as a child and into early adulthood, then the sand got kicked in my face enough that now I am pretty rebellious – even if I don’t choose to show it openly and bite my tongue while my head is buzzing away.
I don’t need the complete tart..I can eat all the ingredients alone, candied walnuts! My eyes didn’t know what to devour first of the pictures
Cheers,
Gera
This looks amazing- soon we’ll have a glut of beetroot in the veggie patch so this will be perfect! Very Christmas-y, might I say?
oh walnuts are great, and beetroot is my new thing at the moment!
I was not rebellious as a teen. I had to watch my baby sister who was 15 years younger than me.
Being a person who was rebelling from her parents never occurred to me. Beet roots, shallots and walnuts sounds like a very uncommon grouping for a tarte.
I love how original this is! I’m definitely a rebel, especially when it comes to cooking. Can’t seem to bring myself to follow recipes to the letter…
Oooh I wish I had this recipe a few weeks ago, when Dad sent me home with some fresh beetroot from his vegie garden. Will know for next time!
Absolutely beautiful. I want this in my belly RIGHT NOW.
I recently made a wonderful beetroot, walnut and goats cheese risotto. Completely reinvigorated my [slightly dwindling] love of beetroot. It was amazing hot, or eaten cold like a salad. Awesome stuff.
I adore savoury interpretations of traditionally sweet dishes and after having some of the most beautiful roasted beetroot on my trip to the UK I really want to give this recipe a go!
I’m not particularly rebellious – I like to do things by the book. At least until I am really comfortable with them and can start to innovate. I’m good in a crisis though!
I love savoury tarts! Candied walnuts too *swoon*.
Golden books were the best. I don’t recall this book though – Petunia, what a cute name for an Elephant!
I don’t think I was particularly rebellious. Most of the time I was an absolute angel, of course! I still am
Heidi xo
What a great idea, although I love pecans better than walnuts. I have both beetroot and some pecans lying around – and a dollop of a good soft goats cheese would finish it off nicely, too!
What a lovely inspiring story, Lorraine. My St Bernard is named Petunia (!!!?) but one of my favorite stories as a kid involved a bull named Ferdinand who didn’t want to go into the family business and fight but rather preferred smelling the flowers. Great recipe with lovely textures and colors… I look forward to trying it!
I’ve loved this post, mostbof all the book story. It has put a smile on my face.trying to think of it as a kid. I have a terrible habit of sometimes skim read cooking instructions and ending up with a terrible mess. Or a different recipe all together. My mind takes a life of its own and draw conclusions.
I love beetroot…Im drooling!!! Dzintra♥x
what a beautiful dish!! love the beetroot and salt pic!
Lovely recipe Lorraine, I’ll definitely need to try it myself! It reminds me of a savoury tarte tatin I made once, with confit tomatoes, goat cheese and olive tapenade – really tasty…
As a kid, I wasn’t so much rebellious as a bit stubborn. My approach was: as long as I get the result you’re after, leave me alone as to how I get there! Kind of stuck with me as I grew up, I suspect
This looks absolutely delicious! Although inverting this could get messy for me!
that’s not rebelliousness, that’s common sense isn’t it?
Apple tartin is well and good but it is savoury ones such that this that really excite me – love this recipe, though it looks a bit fiddly for a make-it-tonight moment
I loved Golden Books but can’t remember Petunia & agree with you on how scarily good the Junior Masterchefs are, its a bit freaky how well those kids can cook huh.
I like to think I’m more like Petunia.
Chefs are typically rebellious as they learn to trust their instincts amongst all the blokey chefs…, so guess I am a teeny bit rebellious
I love the sweet, almost candy-like flavor of roasted beets, so I can totally see how this would work in a lovely tarte tatin. Heck, it’s dinner and dessert all in one!
..and I just came home from the markets with golden beetroots today!!! This is an idea I had not thought about! Thank you! Be careful – what you were as a child – it can come back and bite you when you have children of your own!!!
Oh gosh, who would’ve thought a Golden Book would be capable of teaching a kid to be naughty?
I don’t think I was particularly rebellious. Though I once stole Jelly Bellies from Big W 
I have just been working with walnuts and pastry this morning…these look amazing! Great idea.
My favourite Golden Book was the Pokey Little Puppy!
PS- I love your blog- great pics and fantastic recipes! Thanks for sharing your food experiences!
This tarte tatin is very original and look so scrumptious!
Cheers,
Rosa
awesome lorraine – must be the week for beetroot as i was playing with a wheat free beetroot chocolate cake yesterday – still don’t love it – this tarte tatin is much better though i need to do GF versions for clients – and i am still totally rebellious –
blessings
Shakti x
Mmmm, what a delectable-looking concoction! Will try this with some crumbled goats cheese on top I think.
I love this. Of course I do. I love savory twists on a sweet dish. Why must you always make me so hungry? You’re the reason why I’m such a glutton! lol.
You mention that tarte tartin can be made as a savoury dish but with the caramel and sugar not to mention the natural sugars in the beets & eschallots, I still imagine this would taste fairly sweet. Guess I’ll have to try it to find out!
Sweet, sour, savory and stunning! You, girl, have talent in spades! Maybe it is all those years of being told that you can’t do this or that which has made you an adult who does!
What an elegant dish. Love the color. I have a giant Golden Book with lots of stories in it. I always thought the Richard Scarry ones we fun. xoxo Mum
Wow this looks impressive but quite easy to make! Perfect for a dinner party!
I’m liking sweet/savory combinations more and more lately, and this looks delightful! I have to say, I’m not all that rebellious, but I did love those little golden books.
That tart looks incredible.
Brb cutting off my arm for a piece.
YUUUM Lorraine!! And I’m always trying to find ways to use pastry too! I made a sort of similar version to this myself the other day (beetroot, caramelised onion, walnut, goats cheese and herb) but as a regular tart rather than tatin. Delicious!
Briony xx
What a brilliant recipe! I love the idea of the vinegar caramel adding the sweet sour element to the dish. I admit to being rebellious and quite suspicious too. I like to try things out for myself and know I have authority issues!
I used to read ‘The Kangaroo from Woolloomooloo’ for my girls, over and over again. Wish I still had it so I could read it to my grand-daughters.
Love the flavours of this tarte tatin, so Spring!
Rebellious, I don’t particularly think I was but my mum and High School teachers would probably disagree hehe
Lorraine, I met a gorgeous girl who uses vintage Little Golden Books and creates beautiful Journals with them. Just thought you may be interested and anyone else looking for gifts. I love them.
Yum, this looks amazing! I love me a tarte tatin in the traditional sense, but your savoury one is going to get a trial in my kitchen – particularly as mum is bringing me up a bundle of beetroots from her garden this weekend
just catching up on my NQN Fixes – This tart looks delicious although im the kind of rebel that doesnt eat all her veggies, i tend to pick out the beetroot in my burgers.
at school the teachers hated me because I loved wearing nailpolish and make up and they would have to march me to the bathroom to scrub it out.
My favorite golden book story is the saggy baggy elephant (maybe the continuation of elephant eats pastry?)Im going to dig up my copy now
My god, that looks divine. Sounds pretty easy to make too. Rebellious?? I would have said black was white, just to disagree with my mother. Sorry Mum!
MMMMMMMMMM,..What delicious little tratmlets,..so savoury too!
They look just divine & fabulous, my friend!
how attractive! given my voracious appetite and difficulty sharing, i doubt this would feed both me and one other.
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