Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
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- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour – for dusting
- 10 ounces all-butter puff pastry – thawed if frozen
- 2 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored, halved (~7 medium apples)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Dust a work surface with the all-purpose flour and roll the all-butter puff pastry to an 11-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick; transfer to a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate.
2. Prepare the apples: peel, core, and halve them; pat dry with paper towels so excess moisture doesn't dilute the caramel.
3. In a 9- to 10-inch heavy, ovenproof skillet with 2-inch sides, sprinkle the granulated sugar in an even layer, dot with the unsalted butter, and add the kosher salt.
4. Pack the halves tightly in the skillet, cut sides up around the edge and any remaining pieces in the center; they should fit snugly as they will shrink during cooking.
5. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook without stirring until the sugar melts and the syrup turns light amber, 10–15 minutes. Continue cooking, rotating the pan and basting the fruit with the bubbling syrup, until the caramel is deep amber and the halves are just tender when pierced, 15–20 minutes more.
6. Remove from the heat. Lay the chilled round over the fruit and use a spoon or spatula to tuck the edges down between the fruit and the pan. Cut 3–4 small slits in the center to vent steam.
7. Bake until the top is deeply golden and crisp and the juices are thick and bubbling at the edges, 25–35 minutes.
8. Cool on a rack for 5–10 minutes to let the caramel thicken slightly. Run a knife around the edge, place a large serving plate over the skillet, and carefully invert in one confident motion; lift off the skillet. If any pieces stick, return them to place.
9. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Tarte Tatin is a caramelized upside-down apple tart with a glossy, bittersweet caramel, tender fruit, and a shatteringly crisp pastry cap. Its appeal lies in the contrast of buttery layers against deeply cooked apples, with flavors that balance sweetness and gentle acidity from firm, orchard-style varieties. Served warm, it is rich yet elegant, often needing nothing more than its own caramel for a finish.
Created in late 19th-century France, the tart is credited to the Tatin sisters of Lamotte-Beuvron, whose hotel-restaurant popularized the dish. Legend says it was a happy accident, with over-caramelized apples covered by pastry and baked to rescue them. The dessert was later championed in Paris and became a French classic, inspiring variations in pastry choice and apple varieties while keeping its core identity of stovetop caramel and a dramatic inversion.