Tarte Tatin
This upside down apple pie recipe has been a French dessert classic for centuries. The success of the recipe’s execution relies on the utilization of a large thick bottomed skillet that can be put on the stove and then in the oven. While the recipe traditionally calls for apples, you can also prepare it with apricots, pears, plums, and quince. If you’d like to enhance the tarte with additional fruity flavor, try adding currants, craisins or raisins.
The history of Tarte Tatin is a bit murky. It would seem that the famous tarte was created by accident at the Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France by two sisters – Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin – who ran the hotel. The most commonly accepted explanation is that Stéphanie Tatin, who did most of the cooking, was tired one day. She started to make a traditional apple pie but left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for too long. She tried to rescue the dish by putting the pastry base on top of the pan of apples and quickly finishing the cooking by putting the whole pan in the oven. After turning out the upside down tart, she was surprised to find how much the hotel guests enjoyed the dessert and the tarte became a signature dish of the Hôtel Tatin.
Tarte Tatin
1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough
6 large golden delicious apples
8 tablespoons butter unsalted
1 cup sugar
ice cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Peel and core the apples and cut them in half. You can also slice the apples but they should be fairly thick. Melt the butter in the pan, then sprinkle the sugar all over. Arrange the apple segments uniformly around the pan. Leave the pan to bubble on a high heat for 6-10 minutes until a toffee mixture that’s golden brown and soft forms. When the toffee turns from butterscotch in color to deep amber, turn all the apple pieces and cook for another 5 minutes, then turn the heat off. Shape the puff pastry sheet (or pie dough if using) roughly into a square, then lay it across the apples. Tuck the sides down next to the apples so there is no pastry hanging over the edge. Put the skillet into the oven. Check the pan after 25 minutes. It will be ready when the pastry is puffed up and golden brown and caramel syrup begins bubbling up around the edges. Take the pan out of the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn the tarte out onto a plate. Serve with the ice cream.