No-fuss midweek supper: onion and fig tartines

This simple but delicious French take on the open-faced sandwich or tartine takes little time and effort but the rewards are so so great.

All over the French Riviera I saw variations on the idea of an open-faced sandwich, or tartine. The size of the bread slices varied, as well as the toppings. With a glass of rosé, to me, this is the perfect light meal.

Onion and Fig Tartines

Ingredients

• ½ large onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 slices crusty French bread
• 8 tbsp goat’s cheese
• 4 tbsp fig jam
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1  Very thinly slice the onion (use a mandoline if you have one).
2  Sauté the onion for 15 minutes on medium/low heat, stirring often with the butter, 1 tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
3  Toast the bread and top each slice (in this order) with 2 tbsp goat’s cheese, 1 tbsp fig jam and a spoonful of the onions, a pinch of pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Extracted from The Forest Feast Mediterranean by Erin Gleeson (Abrams, approx €30.50) © 2019 Erin Gleeson 

Read more: Clodagh McKenna’s celeriac soup is the perfect winter warmer

Read more: 6 delicious, healthy breakfast recipes to try this weekend

Read more: Forget the finicky sourdough and try these two-ingredient fluffy white bread rolls instead