Desserts · By James
Tarte Tatin
The story behind tarte tatin came alive for us when in Paris celebrating Sharon's 60th birthday in 2019. We had discovered this classic dessert before, but for some reason it became a quest this time to find the ultimate Parisian tarte tatin. And we were diligent! We returned home inspired, hunting for the best recipe and trying it out at several dinner parties. We made it once for long-time teacher friends Bren and Shelly Ennis, and they were equally inspired (Bren taught our kids Foods at MHHS, and he suggested I take over the Foods classes when he retired). This recipe is not only the best, it looks the best, with the apples standing on end in a beautiful wheel pattern. We used our own apples for it twice, but found that while tasty, they were a little too soft in this recipe. This current recipe uses the apple most often recommended for the tarte: the Honeycrisp. The French are suitably proud of their baking, and this tarte is one of their classics, going back to the mid 19th century. To serve it authentically, the French top the tarte with creme fraiche, a slightly sour dairy richness to complement the tarte's buttery caramel.
Ingredients
- 450 g package thawed puff pastry (try to find an all-butter puff pastry if possible)
- 3 quarts (2.8 liters) boiling water
- 8 large Honeycrisp apples
- 3 tsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
- Crème fraiche or whipped cream, for serving
Method
- 1
Consider whether to do the apple halves or the quarters.
- 2
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and place a rimmed baking sheet on it (this is to catch any drips when the tarte tatin bakes). Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- 3
On a well-floured work surface, roll 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry into a circle roughly 11 inches in diameter. Using a fork or a docking tool, prick the dough all over to dock, then place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, loosely cover with plastic, and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- 4
Peel, core, and halve the apples. Place in a large bowl and toss with 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar, then pour boiling water over the prepared apples. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and let stand until cool, about 10 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels if needed.
- 5
In a 10-inch stainless-steel or nonstick skillet, heat ½ cup granulated sugar on medium heat until it begins to melt and caramelize. Add the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and stir, using a clean, dry silicone spatula, until all the sugar dissolves and becomes an amber color, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar, and cook, whisking constantly, until the caramel bubbles, thickens slightly, and turns a butterscotch color, about 3 minutes. (The caramel will spit and look like it wants to seize, but keep going — the sugars will melt and loosen up as it continues to cook.)
- 6
Remove from heat and, using tongs and working one apple half at a time, add apple halves, turning each piece to coat all over in the caramel and arranging them to build a ring around the circumference of the skillet. Fill in the middle space with the remaining 2 halves.
- 7
Return the pan to medium heat; bring caramel to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the caramel has darkened slightly and is bubbling around the edges and the apples on the bottom are just beginning to become tender but still retain their shape, about 5 minutes.
- 8
Top the apples with the prepared dough, tucking the edges down around the fruit. Gently press down on the pastry to flatten the apples underneath as much as possible. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden and the apples are bubbling around the sides, 20 to 25 minutes.
- 9
Remove from the oven and cool until pan is still slightly warm but cool enough to touch, 1 to 2 hours (don't let the pan fully cool, as that could cause the caramel to thicken such that the tarte tatin won't release when flipped). Cover the pan with a large dinner plate or platter, then carefully and quickly flip. Remove the pan.
- 10
Garnish with flaky salt. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche or whipped cream, if desired.
A note from James
We can only get a buttery puff pastry in the President's Choice brand — it is mostly butter-based, and good. Their 450 g package has two sheets, so put them together and roll them out to the right thickness (brush with egg wash before putting one on top of the other, but don't let the egg wash go over the side of the sheet, since it may glue that edge together, preventing it from puffing properly). This recipe is taken from the Serious Eats site: https://www.seriouseats.com/tarte-tatin-recipe-7113652
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