Red onion, pumpkin and feta tart

Tam West

Ingredients

3 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
1 kg	Red onion, peeled, sliced 2cm
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice
2 kgs	Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 4cm chunks (after which I had about 750g of pumpkin ready to steam)
500 g	Flaky puff pastry, made with butter
200 g	Feta, crumbled very coarsely (you want some big bits)
8 large	Eggs, well beaten
2 large	Thyme, sprigs

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 200C. Line an ovenproof tray with baking paper (mine is 45cm by 32cm and about 3cm deep).
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat and add the onions and lemon juice (the lemon juice keeps the onions pink). Fry gently without browning for 25 minutes or until the onions are very soft and reduced in volume by about half. Remove from the heat, taste, season and cool.
3. Steam or boil the pumpkin until tender but not collapsing. Drain well, taste, season and cool.
4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface so it is big enough to line the tray and place it evenly in the tray.
5. Spread the onions and pumpkin evenly over the pastry.
6. Sprinkle the feta evenly over everything.
7. Pour the eggs evenly over the top.
8. Place the thyme sprigs on the tart, push them into the egg a bit. Place in the oven and bake well for 35 minutes or until well set and puffed up.
9. Remove from the oven, cool, slice down the middle lengthways and then cut into six equal slices across the tart. Good with spicy chutney.

More of Ray's dinners for 8

• Stuffed chicken thighs with kumara and spinach
• Walnut halva with plums and greek yoghurt