Welcome to the second installment of the Sous-Chef Series, an occasional special feature on SK where I invite esteemed chefs to my humble kitchen to teach me -and therefore, all of us – how to prepare one of their signature dishes. Spoiler alert: I’ll be playing the role of the sous chef! Previously, we learned how to make potato vareniki with Bonnie Frumpkin from Kachka.
More often than not, I am captivated by recipes that have a surprisingly short list of ingredients yet yield an astonishingly delicious result. While I don’t require every recipe to adhere to a strict limit of 5 or 10 ingredients, I struggle with unnecessarily restrictive guidelines. It’s simply mind-blowing that the apple tarte tatin showcased above can be made with just apples, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and a defrosted sheet of puff pastry.
Alternatively, you ought to have the ability to do it. When properly prepared, this tart with inverted apple appears to be snug copper cobblestones sitting on top of rippling, flaky pastry. If you’re fortunate, the apples will have a taste as if they were soaked in caramel and rested in whatever remained. I am so fond of it that I’ve written about it twice in eleven years (!), but my attempts were… at best mediocre. I say, just take a look at them – too thin, too few, too pale, apples that are either under- or overcooked, and way too many apples have dissolved long before the cooking time was up, despite being called “good baking apples.”
I had resigned myself to a life of mediocre tarte tatins when I stumbled upon one of the most gorgeous ones to date on a magazine stand. I had a hunch that it was made/styled by my neighbor across the street, Susan Spungen. Susan is a cookbook author and food stylist, and you may have admired her work behind the scenes in movies without even realizing it – for example, the croissant scene in “It’s Complicated”, or everything that Amy Adams and Meryl Streep cooked in “Julie & Julia”. While working on the latter project, Susan perfected her apple tarte tatin skills. She explains: “It was a quick shot, but I worked hard to get the right look and technique, so I could make it over and over again, and have it look exactly the same each time, which is essential for a movie scene.”
I once observed my friend make a flawless tarte tatin in her cramped kitchen without breaking a sweat, which inspired me to try making it myself with confidence. However, despite my attempts over the course of two years, I still struggled to perfect it. That’s why this autumn, I invited my friend over to my place and took diligent notes and photos as she made the dessert. After trying to make it four times, except for the one with the wrong type of apples, my tarte tatins looked just like hers. Finally, I felt accomplished enough to write what I believe is the ultimate tarte tatin recipe for you.
These are a few key takeaways from my experience of making five tatins in two weeks while observing a professional:
1. The choice of apple is crucial. You need one that will retain its shape even after baking. While the internet is replete with lists of “good baking apples” and “bad” baking apples, I cannot tell you with certainty which one will always work, mainly because I don’t possess the level of insanity required to test every apple variety with this recipe. That said, I did try out four different kinds – Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smiths – all of which are widely available in local greenmarkets and grocery stores. The first three yielded excellent results while the last one turned into a mush. It could be due to its age or simply that it’s not suitable for this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend taking the risk. If you do end up trying it with another type of apple that works well, let me know in the comments along with where you procured it from – a local market or a grocery store.
3. When cooked, apples significantly reduce in size. This is the reason why a 9- to 10-inch round tart often requires a large quantity of apples. If you have attempted to make a tart and believed that you had added enough apples, only to find out that the finished product looked like a sparsely-covered cobblestone road, the reason is the same. To prevent this from happening, it is crucial to ensure that each apple is nestled closely against another, with each one overlapping the one behind it by one-third, so that when they shrink during baking, they will remain tightly packed together.
About 75% of the apple-cooking process involves cooking them in caramel on the stove, while the remaining quarter takes place in the oven. The tatin is ready when the pastry has turned a nice brown color and become crispy. However, if the sautéed apples are not fully cooked and still crunchy on the inside, they need more time on the stove before going in the oven. Otherwise, the baked tatin will not have perfectly tender apples.
5. Due to reasons #3 and #4, it is highly recommended to use two pans when making a tarte tatin. As someone who dislikes dirtying unnecessary dishes, trust me when I say that this step is definitely worth it. Many apple tarte tatin recipes unnecessarily complicate the process by instructing you to make the caramel and cook the apples in the same small pan that you’ll bake the final tart in. However, considering the number of apples needed for the tart, it’s difficult to evenly cook pre-shrunk apples in caramel using a small pan. Therefore, it’s advisable to use a big skillet which would give you more consistent results. After that, you can arrange the apples in the desired way in a smaller ovenproof skillet or standard pie pan. This step is vital as it allows the apple mixture to cool, which is important because the butter in your pastry should not melt before the tart is baked.
Most apple tarte tatin recipes, including my own previous ones, instruct to flip it out of the pan prematurely. It’s important to allow enough time for the caramel and cooked apple juices to thicken. After experimenting, I discovered that waiting at least 30 minutes, and up to 60, produces better results. Flipping it too soon won’t ruin it, but the caramel will be thinner and more prone to running off and pooling.
Rewritten:
In the past:
– Six months ago: Austrian Torn and Fluffy Pancake
– One year ago: Roberta’s Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad
– Two years ago: Endive Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs
– Three years ago: Roasted Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seeds and Brown Butter, and Apple Strudel
Four years ago: Baked French Fries and Chocolate Peanut and Pretzel Bark
Five years ago: Roasted Squash Bruschetta with Ricotta and Apple Cider Vinegar
Six years ago: Spinach and Egg Mini Pizzas
Seven years ago: Homemade Apple Cider Caramel Candies
Rewritten:
Eight years ago: Texan Carnitas to cure homesickness.
Nine years ago: Spicy squash salad with lentils, goat cheese, and buckeyes.
Ten years ago: Savory baked chicken meatballs and crispy treats with salted brown butter.
Eleven years ago: A galette made with cabbage and mushrooms and peanut butter crispy bars.
Twelve years ago, a Cranberry Caramel and Almond Tart and Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic were served. Thirteen years ago, Not Your Mama’s Coleslaw was also on the menu. An ideal Apple Tarte Tatin recipe yields 8 servings and takes 50 to 60 minutes to prepare, excluding cooling time. The recipe is a slight adaptation of Susan Spungen’s.
Although the recipe specifies using 7 apples, I prefer starting with 8 to ensure that I have enough in case one is damaged or they shrink during baking. Any excess caramel apple pieces can be used in other ways. It is recommended to select apples that are uniform in size for even distribution on the tart. This creates a consistent “cobblestone” pattern.
A crucial reminder regarding monitoring the temperature of the caramel: Once you whisk it smoothly, it will only take 1 to 2 minutes to turn into a dark amber hue which happens quite rapidly. In my experience, I have had moments where the caramel gets too dark and smoky due to my thermometer reading being unstable as I fumbled for just 10 to 20 seconds. This prompted me to start anew. Therefore, I suggest relying on your judgment of the color rather than using a thermometer.
Ingredients:
– Juice from half a lemon
– 4 tablespoons (55 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and kept very cold
– 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
– 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry, or a half recipe of extra-flaky pie crust
– 7 to 8 medium-large Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples (3 to 3 1/2 pounds; 1.3 to 1.5 kg)
РCr̬me fra?che or unsweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Peel the apples and cut them into thirds, discarding the core and seeds as much as possible (it doesn’t need to be perfectly even). Drizzle the juice of half a lemon onto the apples and toss gently to ensure they are coated.
Ensure that the butter is thoroughly chilled and easily accessible beside the stove.
Place granulated sugar into a sizable skillet (between 11 to 12 inches) and position on medium-high heat. Allow the sugar to liquefy partially, approximately 4 minutes, without attendant stirring. Use a whisk to amalgamate any remaining undissolved sugar into the caramel before reducing the heat to medium-low. The caramel will cook a bit more, and it will speed up from this point. Cook until the sugar becomes a dark amber shade, which should take about 1 to 2 minutes (you can assess this using an instant-read thermometer, which should read between 350 and 370 degrees Fahrenheit. However, before relying on it, read the note above first; similarly, you can identify the dark amber hue by dropping a bit of caramel on a white plate). Take the skillet off the heat immediately and add the butter, thoroughly mixing it until it liquefies and combines with the caramel. This will preserve the current shade.
Add the apples to the heat and cook them over medium-high heat. The caramel will become firmer and seem too thick to coat the apples, but it will loosen up in a minute. Gently stir and rotate the apples to ensure even cooking. Cook them until they begin to turn translucent at the edges and are about three-quarters of the way cooked through, which takes approximately 10 minutes. Keep in mind that larger or denser apples may need more time to cook. If the apples are turning to mush, then they are not suitable for this recipe. Don’t concern yourself with overcooking the caramel once the apples are added, as this has never happened to me.
Using tongs, transfer the apples to a smaller (10-inch) skillet with an oven-proof handle or a 10-inch (standard) pie dish, placing them rounded side down one at a time. Arrange the apples in a concentric circle around the outside, with each apple overlapping by about 1/3 and purposefully crowded together. Place the remaining apples in the center of the ring; it’s less noticeable if the center is arranged more messily. You may not need all the apple pieces if you started with 8. Pour any excess caramel in the skillet over the apples. Let this cool for 10 minutes and use this time to roll out the pastry.
Roll out the dough into a slightly larger circle than the pan. If you’re not using it immediately, refrigerate it on a floured plate or tray.
Place the sautéed apples on top of the pastry, tucking the edges all around. Create one or two vents in the center, then place the dish or skillet on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are bubbling at the edges.
Use a butter knife to loosen the edges. Allow it to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, but up to 60 minutes is fine. If possible, check underneath the crust or tilt the pan slightly to ensure that the caramel and juices have thickened. To invert the tart, place a serving plate on top and tightly grip the pan and plate together as a single unit (using oven mitts if necessary) and quickly flip it over. Remove the pan and if any apples are left behind, simply return them to their correct positioning on the tart. Serve while still warm and if desired, add crème fra?che or whipped cream.
If the dessert has cooled down completely before serving, reheat it in the oven (if it’s in a pie dish) or on the stove (if it’s in a skillet) for a few minutes to warm it up and loosen the caramel. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated gently before serving.
