Tarte Tatin – a Perfect French Tarte

Can I entice you to try a Tarte Tatin – the French version of an American apple pie? Let’s start with the pastry as it will need to chill.

Ingredients and Directions For the Pastry:

• 150 g flour (1 1/4 cups)
• 100g butter, sliced into small pieces (a bit less than 1/2 cup)
• 5 g sugar (1/2 tablespoon)
• 2 egg yolks

Rub the flour and butter together between your fingers until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Mix in sugar.
Add the egg yolks and, with a round-bladed knife, use a cutting motion until it is all mixed into a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Now on to the tarte itself. Note, there are no spices and that is what makes this so delightfully different from an American apple pie. I thought it would be dull with out a mound of cinnamon but when that buttery apple taste melts on your tongue, you know exactly why it is just butter, sugar and apples. Divine.

Ingredients and Directions For the Apples:

• 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
• 40 g butter (3 tablespoons)
• 6 apples, peeled and cored and cut into quarters

In a deep 10 inch frying pan (cast iron works nicely) melt the butter and sugar over medium heat until syrupy. This should slowly get golden brown as it caramelizes. (note you have no spices just buttery apple goodness)

Place apples, curved side down (remember that what is down will be the top side when this is turned over) in the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. The syrup will continue to get more brown and the apples will begin to take on the same color.

Tarte Tatin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out pastry to be slightly larger than the diameter of your frying pan. Remove frying pan from heat and quickly place pastry on top. Fold excess pastry onto the top (do not tuck under, remember this will be turned upside down in the end).

Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 degrees F and cook for another 20 minutes. (Conversions to celsius and gas mark ovens here)

Remove from oven and run a knife around the edge to be sure pastry is loosened from frying pan. Place a heat proof platter face down on top of the tarte, flip over and carefully lift off the frying pan. Be careful! There is hot syrup in the pan!

Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tarte Tatin ready to eat

Bon Appetit!