Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Many iconic dishes are said to have been created by accident. It’s commonly accepted that the tarte Tatin was named after French sisters Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin, who unwittingly created an upside-down caramelized apple tart in the late 19th century. It became trendy soon after, when Parisian restaurants began putting it on their dessert menus.
The pie version of upside-down cake, tarte Tatin similarly begins with a pool of caramel, simmered in a skillet. Apple wedges are nestled in, then topped with pastry and baked until deep golden. As it bakes, the apples release some of their juices into the caramel, so that when it is inverted (the fun/tricky part), the syrupy caramel pools around the fruit and spills out onto your plate.
If you use frozen puff pastry, it’s a simpler process than you might think. Which apples you choose is a matter of taste – tart apples are common in pie, yet Julia Child famously used mild Golden Delicious in her tarte Tatin. Texturally speaking, varieties such as Sunrise, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Pink Lady will hold their shape as they bake, while McIntosh and Cortland apples are more likely to break down into sauce in the oven, and may not have the same visual appeal once your tart is inverted.
Though apples are traditional, pears that are ripe but firm make a wonderful tarte Tatin. There is also the option to go savoury – caramelize onions or blister tiny tomatoes with butter, garlic and perhaps a splash of balsamic vinegar to top with pastry, bake, and then scatter with fresh basil, crumbled blue cheese or dollops of ricotta.
Apple tarte Tatin
You’ll need a skillet that can go from the stovetop to the oven; cast iron works, but can be heavy when it comes time to invert your tart onto a plate. A 9½-10 inch stainless steel skillet is ideal.
- Pastry (or ½ package premade, frozen puff pastry, thawed): 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup butter (or lard, or shortening), cold
- ¼-1/3 cup cold water
- 6 apples (approximately, depending on their size and the size of your skillet)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter, cut into pieces
- A pinch of salt
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing (optional)
- Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving
To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Slice or cut the butter into chunks, or grate it using the coarse side of a box grater into the flour. Blend it in with a fork, pastry blender or your fingers, until the fat is partially blended in, with larger bits about the size of a blueberry remaining. Add the water and stir until the dough comes together. Gather it up into a ball, pat into a disc, wrap in plastic and rest it on the counter for half an hour, or refrigerate for up to a few days. (Alternatively, thaw your puff pastry.)
Preheat your oven to 400 F and peel, core and cut your apples into quarters or thirds. Put the sugar into a 10-inch (or thereabouts) ovenproof skillet, set over medium-high heat and add a splash of water. (About ¼ cup, it doesn’t need to be precise – the water will evaporate, but helps the sugar dissolve and caramelize more evenly.) Cook, swirling the pan often, until it turns deep golden.
Turn off the heat and add the butter and salt; swirl the pan as it foams and melts, then stir it in. Nestle in the apples, rounded sides down, packing them close together as they will shrink in the oven. Turn the heat back on to low, cover loosely with foil or a lid and let the apples cook for 5-10 minutes while you roll out the pastry.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out slightly larger than the diameter of your skillet. Lay the pastry over the apples and caramel, tucking in the edges, and if you like, brush with some beaten egg. Cut a few slices in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until deep golden. Let the tart sit for about 10 minutes, and then invert onto a large plate or other serving dish while it’s still very warm. If any apples are out of place, just put them back where they belong. Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves about 6.