Apple Tarte Tatin is on my foodie bucket list. It tops my list of favourite dishes of all time.
Apple Tarte Tatin is on my foodie bucket list. It tops my list of favourite dishes of all time. The best I’ve ever tried is at a Michelin-starred restaurant in London called Galvin. I return time after time just for the escargots and the tarte tatin. They really are the best and I can’t help but smile every time I visit, as I know what delights are in store for me. I am using store bought puff pastry for this as it’s easier but feel free to make your own puff pastry if you like.
Makes 8 minis or 1 large if you prefer (feeding 6 people)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
200 g (7oz) sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
8 green cardamom pods, bruised in a pestle & mortar
3 granny smith apples, peeled and cored and cut into 1cm thick slices/wedges
½ lemon
100 g (3½ oz) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes plus extra for greasing trays
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
300 g (10½oz) store bought puff pastry, rolled to a few mm thick
Thick cream or ice cream, for serving
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Make the caramel for the apples by gently heating the sugar with the cinnamon and cardamom in a large frying pan. If you are making a large tarte tatin make sure your frying pan is oven proof.
Whilst the sugar is melting rub the apples with some lemon juice to stop them from browning.
This bit is important – as the sugar melts it will start to turn golden brown. Don’t let it turn too dark or your caramel will be bitter. As soon as it is ready, turn down the heat and carefully beat in the chilled cubed butter. Place the apple slices in the pan whilst you get your puff pastry ready.
Generously grease a muffin tray (or cupcake tray) with butter. Use a cutter slightly larger than the size of the holes to cut out the puff pastry. Prick it a few times with a fork (this will stop it puffing up too much in the oven).
Once the apples have been steeping in the caramel for a few minutes, turn off the heat and carefully transfer them to the muffin tray, filling them two-third full. Spoon over a little extra caramel (be generous) and sprinkle over the nutmeg. Pop a pastry disc on top and carefully tuck the sides in so the apples are fully covered and snug in the tin.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully popping a plate on top of the tin and turning it all upside down so the tarte tatin releases itself from the pan. The pastry should be at the bottom with the sticky spiced caramelised apples on top. You may need to tap the base of the tray to help them come out of the tin.
Spoon over a little extra caramel from the pan if you think it needs it, and serve with a good dollop of ice cold thick cream or ice cream. It’s heavenly!
Check Chef Anjali Pathak's recipes here
