Tantalisingly Tangy Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is one of my favourite desserts when made well. I love the gooeyness, the chewyness and above all, the naughtyness of such an indulgence.

What puts me off making tarte tatin is the hassle of finding a decent tin that is as good on the hob as it is in the oven… and then the washing-up of said tin. Now having said all of that, I do in fact have the answer to the pastry chef’s woes!

As with all my favourite cake pans, it is made by my old faithful manufacturer Silverwood, and it is made of that oh-so-clever anodised material. Heavy-based to work on even an Aga, the Silverwood Tarte Tatin tin is easy to clean, and perfect in the oven and on the hob.

So, after solving the puzzle of a decent tin, it is only fair that I provide you with a recipe:

Apple Tarte Tatin

Pastry Recipe
175g (6oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) caster sugar
75g (3oz) unsalted butter, chilled & diced
1 medium egg yolk
2-3 tbsp icy cold water Pinch of salt

Apple Filling
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
1.35kg (3lb) dessert apples, ideally Cox's Orange Pippin or Granny Smiths

Preheat the oven to 220º C (Gas mark 7).

Peel, core and halve the apples. Arrange them in the pan, on top of the butter and sugar, so that the apple halves stand up vertically, on their sides. Pack them in tightly, so that they hold each other up while cooking.

Put the Tatin Pan on the hob and heat to moderate heat. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, until the butter and sugar have formed a richly coloured caramel and all the moisture from the apples has evaporated (all the steaming will have stopped). Remove from the heat.

Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle about the same size as the top rim of the pan. Lay the pastry around a rolling pin and place it over the cooked apples to cover them completely.

Tuck the edges of the pastry down inside the pan and then prick the pastry lid all over with a fork.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the pastry edges and turn out the tart, upside down, so that the pastry becomes the base, under the apples.

Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, or crème fraîche.

Sarah