Sausage, caramelised onion and feta tart

This recipe, created for the 2019 Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, comes from chef Jarrod McGregor. If pushed for time, he says it will still be great made with good, store-bought savoury short pastry and store-bought caramelised onions instead of making your own.

This recipe makes approximately 450g of caramelised onions but you won’t need all of them for the tart – it isn’t a quick job so it’s a great idea to make a large batch like this while you are at it, storing the remainder for other dishes.

The tart filling includes goat’s feta which has a sharper flavour than cow’s feta and contrasts well against the sweetness of the onions and spiciness of the chorizo sausage.

Pastry

2 cups	All-purpose flour
½ tsp	Salt
170 g	Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
60 ml	Iced water, use up to 120ml if needed

Caramelised onions (makes 450g)

80 g	Butter
10 medium	Brown onions, thinly sliced (Main)
3 ½ Tbsp	Golden syrup
1 tsp	Salt

Filling

6	Chorizo sausages, use a fresh type; you may need up to 8 sausages depending upon their size (Main)
6	Pork sausages, choose a classic type; use up to 8, depending upon size (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
1 pinch	Black pepper
2 Tbsp	Dried chilli flakes, optional
3	Eggs
180 g	Goat's feta, crumbled (Main)
150 g	Caramelised onions (Main)

Directions

1. To make the pastry:In a food processor combine the flour, salt, and butter. Using short pulses, process until the mixture resembles oatmeal. Add the ice water a little at a time and pulse quickly until the mixture begins to come together but don't let it actually form a ball.
2. Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and gather it into a ball with your hands. Gently flatten the ball into a smooth disk about 6-8cm thick and wrap it in plastic or foil. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll; at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll out pastry to 3-5mm thick. Blind bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. For the caramelised onions, add butter and onions to a frying pan on a low heat. Slowly cook the onions for approximately 2- 3 hours, stirring every 5-10 minutes.
5. In the last 30 minutes, once the onions are starting to naturally colour, add the golden syrup and salt, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
6. To assemble the tart, preheat oven to 170C. Snip open the end of each sausage and squeeze the meat from the casings. Add salt, pepper and chilli flakes (if using) and carefully mix together without overworking the sausage meat. Add eggs and combine well.
7. Place the sausage mixture into the blind-baked tart case and gently push the meat to the edge. Top with crumbled feta and caramelised onions.
8. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving alongside a crisp green salad.