Tarte Tatin

Method

1. 01

   Prepare the apples

   Peel and halve the apples, remove the cores and keep the halves intact. Toss lightly with salt and optional cinnamon.

   

2. 02

   Cook the caramel

   Melt butter in a heavy ovenproof pan, add sugar and cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove from heat before it turns bitter.

   

3. 03

   Pack and soften the apples

   Pack apple halves tightly upright in the warm caramel. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, spooning caramel over the fruit once or twice as the apples begin to soften.

   

4. 04

   Cover with pastry

   Heat the oven to 190°C. Roll pastry on the floured surface into a round slightly larger than the pan, lay it over the hot apples and tuck the edge down inside the pan. Cut one small steam vent in the center.

   

5. 05

   Bake until crisp

   Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and caramel bubbles around the edge. Rest the tart in the pan for 8 minutes.

   

6. 06

   Invert and serve

   Set a rimmed serving plate over the pan and invert in one controlled motion. Lift the pan carefully and let the tart settle for 5 minutes before cutting.