January 19, 2009

Mini Manchego and Onion Marmalade Tartlets






One of my favorite items which you will always find in my freezer are the mini phyllo pastry shells. They are inexpensive, will keep a long time, and you can use them for savory bites, or sweet desserts, and the possibilities are endless as far as what to fill them with. I could go on forever here, but for the purposes of this post, I will keep it to this sweet onion marmalade/chutney which I made to compliment a pork tenderloin glazed with dijon. I had some leftover and thought it would be nice with a little cheese in these cute little shells.
The onion marmalade is very quick and easy to prepare, but if you want to use a store bought chutney, there are lots of great flavors that would be just as good.
Try these the next time you need a quick appetizer and enjoy!

Wine Pairing: try a Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre with this.

Onion Marmalade
Makes about 2/3 cups

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

Heat butter in medium heavy saucepan. Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle with sugar and continue cooking until onions are soft and browned. About 8-10 minutes.
Add vinegar and wine and simmer until almost all the liquids have evaporated and onion mixture is syrupy. About 5 minutes. Bring to room temperature before using.

This can be made 2 days ahead of time. Just keep covered and refrigerated.


Mini Manchego and Onion Marmalade Tartlets
15 Tartlets

Ingredients
1 (1.9 ounce) package frozen mini phyllo pastry shells
1 cup finely grated manchego or mahon cheese (about 2 ounces)
3-4 tablespoons onion marmalade
fresh thyme or marjoram leaves for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange phyllo shells on baking sheet. Add 1/2 teaspoonful of marmalade/chutney into shells. Top each with grated cheese.
Bake for about 6-8 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with a few small thyme or marjoram leaves. Can be served hot or at room temp.
Enjoy!

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