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The following recipe offers a speedy take on pissaladière, converting a small amount of pastry scraps into a quick snack. Keep and collect any trimmings into a round mass and use again as and when required. Pastry freezes beautifully in the freezer compartment, and by omitting two laborious procedures in the classic method – making the dough and caramelizing the onions – this recipe comes together in nearly half the time. Alternatively, the onions are heated upside down, cooking and caramelizing beneath a covering of dough with salted fish and brined olives for a quick, enjoyable twist on a French classic. And if you have less pastry, you can always cut down the method.

Quick Inverted Pissaladière Tarts

The current popularity of upside-down tarts, which went viral on social media and photo-sharing apps a few years back, may have started with a tasty and easy fruit and honey pastry or an inspirational onion tart that even resulted in a whole book on upside-down cooking. Personally, I’ve been experimenting with cooking upside down lately, from an extra-long leek tart to these speedy pissaladière tartlets. It’s a simple, fun way to make something that appears particularly unique.

Makes 4 personal pastries

• 1 purple onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 small fillets (or 4, for a less intense taste profile)
• Brined olives, to taste
• 120g pastry – puff or firm is suitable also

Warm up the appliance to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Remove the skin and trim the onion, then chop into four sizable, circular pieces. Line a heat-resistant oven sheet with non-stick paper, then imagine where you will place each round of onion. Pour those areas with oil and sweetener, then flavor. Lay two small fish on top of each seasoned patch and layer them with a round of onion. Tuck a few olives in and around the onions, then add with a little more olive oil, sweetener, salt flakes and black pepper.

Switch on two adjacent stovetop elements to a medium heat, set the tray on top of the rings and leave the onions to heat untouched for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a dusted counter, roll out the sheets and cut it into four pieces big enough to cover each round of onion. Precisely lay one dough piece on top of each round of onion, seal along the sides with the back of a fork, then bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is browned. Set a plate on top of the hot pan, then flip to turn the tarts on to the surface. Gently lift off the parchment and enjoy.