The World-Famous Tarte Tatin

Name: The World-Famous Tarte Tatin
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H25M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H28M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H8M0.000S
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: Plain flour, for dusting; 18 ounces/500 g puff pastry, if frozen, thawed; 5 small eating apples (approximately 28 ounces (1 3/4 pounds)/800 g), a mixture of sweet and acidic varieties; 3 1/2 ounces/100 g golden caster sugar; 3 1/2 fluid ounces/100 ml Calvados (apple-flavored brandy); 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out; 1 1/2 tablespoons/50 g butter, cubed

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Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 8 min

Prep: 25 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 28 min

Yield: 6 servings

Not only is this dessert delicious, it was invented quite near where I was staying by the Tatin sisters. The story goes that one of them was making an apple tart but, for whatever reason, made a mistake and left it too long in the oven. However, she thought she could salvage it, so she ended up turning it upside down and her guests went mad for it. I wish all my cooking mistakes had such happy results. Hopefully, this recipe will give you the basics so that you'll be able to stretch it by using pears, quinces, peaches, apricots or a mixture... I'm sure the sisters would love the fact that people were bending this recipe to make it their own. Light golden puff pastry, soft juicy fruit and crisp caramel is a great combination! You could serve this with a spoonful of creme fraiche or whipped cream, but personally I love the contrast between the warm tart and cold ice cream, especially the prune and Armagnac ice cream!

Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 8 min

Prep: 25 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 28 min

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

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Plain flour, for dusting

18 ounces/500 g puff pastry, if frozen, thawed

5 small eating apples (approximately 28 ounces (1 3/4 pounds)/800 g), a mixture of sweet and acidic varieties

3 1/2 ounces/100 g golden caster sugar

3 1/2 fluid ounces/100 ml Calvados (apple-flavored brandy)

1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out

1 1/2 tablespoons/50 g butter, cubed

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour and roll out your puff pastry until it's just over 1/4-inch/0.5cm thick. This will be enough to cover the ovenproof frying pan you'll be cooking the tarte Tatin in, leaving about 2 inches/5 cm extra around the edge. Put the pastry to one side for now. Peel your apples, then halve them horizontally and use a teaspoon to get rid of the seeds and core. Put the ovenproof pan on a medium heat and add the sugar, Calvados, vanilla seeds, and pod. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel. Once the caramel looks and smells delicious - it should be a lovely chestnut brown - add your halved apples. Carefully stir everything in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften and you get a toffee apple vibe happening. Add the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Quickly and carefully tuck the pastry down right into the edges - it's best to use a wooden spoon so you don't touch the caramel. Bake the tarte Tatin for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden, with crispy caramelly pieces bubbling up from under the edges. Take it out of the oven. To make it look like a tarte Tatin you need to turn it out, which isn't hard - but you do need to be careful with that hot caramel. So get a serving plate or board larger than your pan and put an oven glove on to protect the arm holding the board. Put the board or plate on top of the pan, then quickly, carefully and confidently turn it out (remember you can go to www.jamieoliver.com/how-to and see a video of how to do this safely). Put it to one side for a few minutes, so the caramel can cool down, then divide it up and serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche or ice cream.