Apple Tarte Tatin
The tart that is baked upside down: the apples caramelise in the bottom of the pan, the puff pastry goes over the top, and the whole thing is turned out onto a plate at the end.
Two things decide it. Tart, firm apples — Granny Smith, Braeburn or Cox; a floury variety collapses into sauce. And the pan has to be packed to the rim: apples lose a lot of volume as they cook, and what looks gapless now is exactly the right density after baking.
The American version, baked the right way up under a lid of pastry, is the apple pie.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 tart, firm apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn or Cox), peeled and cut into eighths
- 150 g white sugar
- 80 g cold butter, cubed
- 1 sheet of good-quality ready-rolled puff pastry
- Optional: a pinch of ground cinnamon
Method
- 1
The caramel (the critical step): spread the sugar over the base of a cast-iron or otherwise ovenproof pan. Melt it over medium heat until it turns amber — no darker, or it turns bitter. Off the heat, add the cubes of butter and stir quickly until it emulsifies.
- 2
Layering the apples: peel and core the apples and cut them into 8 even wedges. Pack them tightly onto the caramel, standing on their flattest side or fanned out. There must be no gaps — the apples shrink a great deal as they cook. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, so they soften slightly and take up the caramel.
- 3
Sealing: cover the apples with the disc of puff pastry, tucking the edges down inside the pan as if you were tucking the tart in. Pierce the centre with a knife so the steam can escape.
- 4
Baking: bake at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and crisp.
- 5
The moment of truth (turning it out): take it out of the oven and wait just 2 minutes. Put a large plate over the pan and turn it over in one firm, decided movement. Mind the hot caramel — and do not wait any longer than that, because as the caramel cools it glues the apples to the pan.
Flavors of the Mediterranean: From Our Table to Yours
If one kitchen invites you to sit down at a long table and stay there, it is the Mediterranean. This is our personal selection of dishes that celebrate freshness, sun and good produce: recipes that smell of basil, lemon and sea. Technique in the service of simplicity — and dishes that come out right every time.
