Have a very veggie Christmas!

Don’t despair if you don’t eat meat. A vegetarian Christmas dinner can still be a feast full of flavour – and a lot less hassle than a turkey...Serves 4-6

Crowd pleaser: Pour over the onions and arrange the figs around the edge

INGREDIENTS


1 pack (approx 275g) ready-rolled puff pastry
1tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 plump garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
1tsp fennel seeds
1 large egg, and 1 yolk, whisked
225ml (7fl oz) double cream
175g (6oz) Gorgonzola cheese
2 figs, quartered

METHOD
Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/ gas 6. Line a 23cm (8½in) tart tin with pastry, leaving a 3cm (1¼in) overhang. Lay baking paper over the pastry, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes.

Remove the paper, prick the base with a fork and return to the oven for 5 minutes until golden. Cool slightly then trim the edges of the pastry. Heat the oil and gently sweat the onion for 8-10 minutes until very soft.

Add the garlic, fennel and seeds, and cook for a few minutes until lightly golden. Tip into the tin. Mix the egg and cream and season. Pour over the onions, dot the cheese on top and arrange the figs around the edge. Bake for 30-40 minutes until puffed and golden.