Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Skim a fine film of flour over your work surface, roll out the pastry until it is 4—5 mm thick and large enough to fit loosely in a 22 cm ovenproof frying pan. Prick the pastry well all over and either lay it on a large plate, or place a sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and roll it up, then put it into the fridge to rest while you prepare the apples and sugar.
Peel the apples, then cut in half from top to bottom and remove the cores.
Melt the butter in the frying pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over it and cook gently for about 1 minute. Quickly arrange the apples, flat-side upwards, in the pan and keep over a medium heat, shaking it from time to time to ensure that the apples don’t stick to the bottom. Don’t worry if you can’t fit in all the apples initially; they will shrink a little as they cook and you will be able to squeeze in more as necessary. You need to pack the apples tightly together so that the tart holds its shape when you turn it over.
Continue cooking gently and shaking the pan until the sugar turns to a rich caramel — this will take about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and rest it for 5 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and lay it loosely over the top of the apples. It needs to tuck in around the edge of the pan until it almost touches the caramel. The best way to do this without your fingers touching the caramel, which burns very badly, is to use the back of a teaspoon to nudge the pastry into place.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is really dark golden brown. Don’t forget that when you flip the tart over after it is baked, the pastry is going to be the base, holding the apples and caramel together, so it needs to be really well coloured and crispy, otherwise it will become soggy with the juices from the apples.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool for about a minute. This lets the caramel set a little and also makes it safer to turn out, but still take care as the caramel will still be hot.
To turn out, place a large plate over the pan and, holding both plate and pan firmly turn them over together so that the tart is apple-side up on the plate. You can serve the tart cold, but I think it is best warm, with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
For a little twist to the classic recipe, I suggest you use a butter flavoured with sea salt; it will give a gorgeous salted caramel flavour to the tart.
FAQs
What is Tarte Tatin? Tarte Tatin is a French dessert for which apples are caramelized in a skillet with butter and sugar, then topped with a round of pastry dough and baked.
What is unusual about tarte tatin? ›
Named after the woman who invented it, the Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) is a famous French "upside-down" caramelized apple tart or Tarte aux pommes (caramélisé). Basically, the apples are underneath the dough – topsy-turvy indeed.
What is the difference between a tarte tatin and a galette? ›
Whereas pies and tarts are baked in a mould or dish, galettes are freeform; laid on a flat sheet, its edges are turned up and folded inward by hand, producing a rustic appeal and a distinct shape—while tarts and pies have crusts that are wither straight or widen at the mouth, the mouths of galettes are smaller than its ...
Does a tarte tatin need to be served immediately? ›
For best results, cook a day or two ahead and keep in its pan or dish in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for 20 mins at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 an hour before serving. Turn out to serve as above.
What can you use instead of a tarte tatin pan? ›
Choose a pan: a copper tarte tatin mold will be perfect (here's a link to a good one), but you can also use an iron skillet (as long as it doesn't smell like salmon or something) or even a heavy stainless steel (like All-Clad) or non-stick sauté pan.
Why is my tarte tatin bitter? ›
Put the sugar for the caramel into the tatin pan on the hob over medium heat. Allow it to caramelise to a golden amber. Don't stir and don't let it go too dark, or the caramel will be bitter.
What does tarte tatin mean in French? ›
The tarte Tatin (French pronunciation: [taʁt tatɛ̃]), named after the Tatin sisters who invented it and served it in their hotel as its signature dish, is a pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked.
What does tatin mean in English? ›
adjective. caramelized and baked in the manner of an upside-down cake: an apple tart Tatin.
What is the best pan for tatin? ›
This French upside-down apple pie, tarte tatin, is baked in a skillet—not a pie pan—with the bottom crust on top. The key to a successful tarte lies in the type of skillet you use. Cast iron, enameled cast iron, or a special tarte tatin mold, available at many kitchenware shops, are best.
What do you call a pie without top crust? ›
A pie is a baked or fried dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savory ingredients. A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry.
If you find your apple tarte tatin is too liquid, it means that either your fruit were old (pectin breaks down as fruit age) OR the apple layer didn't come to a full boil.
How to avoid soggy tarte tatin? ›
Also, since everything except the pastry is cooked, try baking the pastry conventionally (in the oven) then grill it for a few minutes to increase the heat on the pastry directly to avoid it becoming soggy.
When to flip a tarte tatin? ›
Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place a plate, slightly larger than the pan, on top and then, very carefully, using oven gloves, invert the tart on to the plate. Best served warm, with crème fraîche.
Can you make tarte tatin in stainless steel? ›
The Pan. I use a 10-inch (26cm) All-Clad, stainless steel fry pan (skillet) as an example. It heats evenly and can be popped into the oven. Any stainless steel fry pan works, just make sure the handle is ovenproof.
What is tarte Bourdaloue made of? ›
Traditionally, it's a buttery tart crust filled with poached pear and luxurious almond cream. However, no matter how mind blowing the tarte bourdaloue is, almost no one in this country knows what it is.
What's the difference between a tart and a tatin? ›
Apple Tarte Tatin is a classic French-style apple tart that requires only 4 main ingredients to make. It's different to an American apple tart in many ways: It is baked upside down, the caramel is cooked separately and it is way easier to make than a traditional American apple tart.
