HOW TO MAKE A CLASSIC TARTE TATIN

Serves: 10

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HOW TO MAKE A CLASSIC TARTE TATIN

Ready in: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

No matter how perfect or imperfect it looks on the plate, a tarte tatin will still taste like something that came directly from heaven.

Ingredients

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN

• 6 Granny Smith apples or other hard, tart apple
• 1 9-inch pie crust dough
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream or crème fraîche, optional for serving

Instructions

1. Tender apples in a deeply caramelized sauce; what could be better?
2. Plain old Granny Smith apples are fine for making a Tarte Tatin, but Honey Crisps are better. They hold up well in the rather rigorous caramelization and their sweet/tart flavor translates into very pure apple flavor when pitted against the rich caramel.
3. That said, you should feel free to experiment with other apple varieties or a mix of varieties. Anything that holds up well for baking will work well. Cutting the apples in quarters also helps them to hold their shape without turning into apple sauce.
4. Don't be intimidated by the flip. In many ways, that's the least stressful part of making a Tarte Tatin! Be sure to run a knife around the edge of the crust and then get a firm grip on the plate-and-skillet sandwich before flipping. The tarte is still warm at this point, so it's easy to nudge any apples back into place that falls out of line or stick to the pan.
5. And yes, a Tarte Tatin will taste incredible no matter what happens during that flip. It's a sure thing. It’s supposed to be rustic. Have some vanilla bean ice cream or tangy crème fraîche on hand for spooning over the top, and I guarantee, it’s a total win.
6. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 375°F.
7. Peel the apples, slice them into quarters, and remove the core. Roll out the pie crust to a little larger than 10 inches on a piece of parchment paper and keep the dough chilled in the refrigerator while you cook the apples.
8. Melt the better in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium to medium-high heat, then stir in the sugar. It will be grainy and lumpy at first, then start to dissolve into a syrupy liquid.
9. Carefully add the apples to the syrup, arranging them in concentric circles, starting on the outside and moving inward. Sprinkle it with salt.
10. Cook the apples, stirring every few minutes until the sauce darkens to a deep amber caramel color. This should take about 12 to 15 minutes. A good indication of when the caramel sauce is done is if a drip holds its shape on a cool plate.
11. Remove the pan of apples from the heat. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and drape it over the hot apples. Be careful not to touch the hot caramel sauce! Tuck the edges of the pie crust into the pan and prick with a fork.
12. Bake the tarte Tatin for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Once done, place the tarte on a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes.
13. Run a knife around the edge of the pie crust to separate it from the pan. Shake the skillet a few times to loosen the apples in the caramel sauce. Place the pie plate over the top of the skillet. Using oven mitts, grip the plate and the skillet and swiftly turn them both over so the pie plate is on the bottom and the skillet is on top.
14. Gently lift the skillet away and re-arrange any stubborn apples that have gotten jostled out of place. Scrape any remaining caramel sauce from the pan and drizzle over the tarte.
15. Serve warm with ice cream or crème fraîche. Serve the tarte Tatin while it's still warm, topped with ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche. Leftover tarte can be kept refrigerated for several days (and makes an excellent breakfast).

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