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This recipe offers a speedy version on the French onion tart, transforming some leftover of leftover pastry into a quick treat. Store and collect any trimmings into a round mass and re-roll as and when required. Dough stores nicely in the icebox, and by skipping two laborious steps in the traditional recipe – making the dough and caramelising the onions – this version is ready about an hour faster. Instead, the onions are cooked upside down, steaming and browning below a blanket of dough with salted fish and brined olives for a quick, enjoyable variation on a French classic. In case you have a smaller amount of dough, you can always cut down the recipe.

Speedy Upside-Down Pissaladière Tarts

The current popularity of upside-down tarts, which spread quickly on TikTok and Instagram a couple of years ago, may have originated with a tasty and straightforward peach and honey puff pastry or an inspirational onion tart that even led to a complete guide on flipped dishes. I’ve also been experimenting with cooking upside down recently, from an elongated savory tart to these quick mini French tarts. It’s a easy, fun approach to create something that seems extra-special.

Makes 4 personal pastries

• 1 sweet onion
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 salted fish (or 4, for a less intense taste profile)
• Dark pitted olives, to taste
• 120g pastry – flaky or buttery is suitable too

Warm up the appliance to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Peel and trim the onion, then chop into four thick, round slices. Line a stovetop-safe cookie sheet with non-stick paper, then visualize where you will place each round of onion. Sprinkle those spots with cooking oil and syrup, then add salt and pepper. Put two small fish on top of each flavored area and top them with a piece of onion. Nestle a few olives in and around the onions, then add with a little more oil, nectar, seasoning and black pepper.

Switch on two adjacent stovetop elements to a medium heat, set the sheet on top of the elements and allow the onions to simmer undisturbed for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, on a lightly floured surface, spread the pastry and slice it into four pieces sufficiently sized to top each round of onion. Precisely put one pastry rectangle on top of each round of onion, press down along the sides with the flat side of a tool, then heat for 20 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Lay a serving platter on top of the hot pan, then turn over to invert the tarts on to the surface. Carefully lift off the paper and present.