Dominic Franks' viral onion tart sparks Upside Down Cookbook

The Hindu

4 days ago

In May 2023, UK-based food writer Dominic Franks posted a reel on his Instagram page featuring an upside-down puff pastry onion tart. Topped with cream cheese, layered banana shallots, the golden squares went viral overnight. With over a million likes, the reel has since got 40 million views, and counting. And this reel is what led Dominic on the path to turning author, and his recently-launched debut cookbook Upside Down Cooking (published by Dorling Kindersley) is an ode to the viral onion tart.
While Dominic has been known for whipping up seasonal and rustic British recipes, he created the onion tart as he wanted 'a savoury version of the tart tatin' that he loved the concept of. 'I've always wanted to write a book, but I could see the potential of the 'upside down' concept as it was so popular on my social media. It took me roughly six months to write the book in the summer of 2024. I had many of the recipes already from trials on social media,' he says.
The 'upside down' method is a culinary technique wherein ingredients are layered in a pan or dish in reverse order, and the dish is flipped before serving. Dominic adds that the onion tart aside, other popular recipes were the beetroot, red onion and feta tart, and the upside down tomato tart. 'The upside-down concept is so simple and once you try it you can see how easily adaptable and versatile it is for savoury and sweet recipes. They're also very easy and quick to create which is why the amateur cook likes it.'
Featuring 85 recipes, Upside Down Cooking includes many of his inverted treats, smaller pies, family-sized pies, and desserts. 'Many people asked me what to serve with the pies and tarts so I wanted to create a selection of side-dishes such as fresh salads, soups. These are perfect to serve with my upside down creations,' says Dominic, who draws inspiration from old cookbooks such as Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, and television shows by Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, and Rick Stein.
'I am very much an 'in the moment' cook so I don't spend a lot of time testing recipes,' says Dominic, 'I tend to make something, and if it works it's a go and if it doesn't then I don't include it. I think this is more realistic to how people cook in their everyday life. So, for the book, I would think of my favourite foods and imagine if they would work upside down. If they worked they were in the book!'
And recipes that did make the cut include upside-down versions of an apricot, polenta, and almond traybake cake; spanakopita; banana toffee tart; beetroot tart tatin, among others. A surprising find was the upside down samosa. 'I grew up in London in the 1970s with many Indian friends and so Indian food was always a part of my life. I knew I wanted to include some recipes that reflect that in the book. My favourite Indian dish is the korma and I am working on an upside down version of that,' says Dominic, who is now working on his second book on the same concept.
Priced at ₹2,750, Upside Down Cooking is available online