Shallot tarte tatin

Pre-heat fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place the shallots in a large bowl and cover with boiling water for five minutes. Drain and then peel (the hot water makes them a hell of a lot easier to peel). Cut in half and set aside.

In a large oven proof pan, cook the sugar and butter over a medium heat until you have a sticky caramel. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and thyme leaves. Place the shallots flat side down in the pan and take off the heat, allow to cool for fifteen minutes. If you don't have an oven proof pan, you can just transfer the mixture to a cake tin or pie dish before covering with pastry.

Cover the shallots with pastry tucking the sides in around the shallots, hugging them almost. Place in the oven for around half an hour or until golden. Remove from oven and rest for a minute until covering with a plate and carefully flipping the tart. Sprinkle with more thyme or a lovely blue or goats cheese.