Tomato Cobbler with Cheese Biscuit Crust
As sweet and delicious as summer's cherry tomatoes are raw, they become even more so when baked in this easy cobbler-style dish. Caramelized onion, garlic, and hot pepper reinforce the dish's savory side. A Gruyere drop-biscuit dough, spooned on top before the ensemble bakes, makes the cobbler work as a hearty side or a rustic main course.Cheese biscuits on top of the tomato filling soak up the juices.
Filling:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 lbs cherry tomatoes
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
BiscuitTopping:
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
coarse sea salt
1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 cup Gruyère cheese (2¼ oz), + 1 Tbsp., for sprinkling, freshly grated
1½ cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Make the Filling:
Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
Toss onion mixture, tomatoes, flour and red-pepper flakes with 1½ tsp. salt and some pepper.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).
Make the Biscuit Topping:
Whisk together flour, baking powder and 1 tsp. salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Stir in cheese, then add cream, stirring with a fork to combine until dough forms. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)
Transfer tomato mixture to a 2 qt baking dish (2" deep). Spoon 7 clumps of biscuit dough (~ ½ cup each) over top in a circle, leaving center open. Brush dough with cream and sprinkle with remaining Tbsp. cheese. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling in the center and biscuits are golden brown, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 20 minutes.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Cook's Notes: Cheese biscuits on top of the tomato filling soak up the juices.