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TarteTatin
Simple though it is,
it tastes like much more than the sum of its parts. This homey, rustic
tart is especially delicious with a dollop of thick crème fraiche
or sour cream. Note: Many tartetatin
recipes call for arranging the apples in semicircles until they fill the
pan, and then caramelizing them without
stirring them about so they hold their ordered pattern. If you want this
more formal effect, you must cook the apples on the stove in the same pan
in which they go into the oven (a special tarteTatin
pan, or in a skillet that goes from stove top to oven). Melt the butter
and sugar, arrange the apples quarters over the caramel in circular patterns,
wedging them in tightly. Cook over medium high heat, watching carefully,
without stirring. As apples shrink in cooking, tuck new ones into empty
spaces. When caramel is dark brown and apples are cooked (35-45 minutes),
cover with pastry and bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Flip over as recipe instructs. 1 recipe Sweet Pastry
(see below) 1 cup sugar 1 stick butter 8 medium apples (about
4½ pounds) crème fraiche
(often available at Sahara Mart or Bloomingfoods),
sour cream or sweetened whipped
cream as you prefer Note: Apples will cook
down, so peel more than you think you need. Choose firm, tart apples -soft
watery fruit will disintegrate in cooking. Prepare sweet pastry
and chill for a least 1 hour, or overnight. Preheat oven to 425
degrees. Peel and core apples
and cut into quarters. Melt sugar and butter
in a deep 12-inch skillet or frying pan. Add apples and stir to coat. Cook
over medium heat about 45 minutes until apples are well caramelized. You
want them to turn a deep mahogany brown color, but not to burn. Keep a
close eye on them, since they can quickly go from brown to burned. When apples are brown
and caramelized, move them to a 10- inch oven proof tart pan (or keep them
in the same skillet or pan if it is oven proof). If you are moving them,
work quickly because the caramel hardens as it cools. Roll out the pastry
to a 12-inch circle between two sheets of parchment paper. Peel top layer
of paper off, place pastry over tart, and peel off remaining paper. Tuck
the dough in along the edges so that the apples are nestled snuggly inside. If your baking dish
is very full, place a cookie sheet underneath to catch bubbling juices
and caramel. Bake in a 425 degree oven until crust is golden brown, approximately
25-30 minutes. When tart is cooked,
remove from oven. Unmold it immediately
so apples do not stick. Place a large heat-proof platter face down on top
of the tart and with oven mitts or heavy hot pads, hold baking dish and
plate together. Quickly flip the entire
thing over, so tart is upside down on platter. Let it rest a few seconds,
and tart should settle onto platter on its own. Loosen crust with a knife
if it sticks, and replace any apples that have stuck to the pan. Serve warm or at room
temperature with a dollop of crème fraiche,
sour cream, or sweetened whipped cream if you prefer. Sweet Pastry 1½ c. all purpose
flour 2 tablespoons. sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup (1 ½
sticks) sweet (unsalted) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons ice water
(the amount you need will vary with the humidity of the air and the dryness
of the flour) In the bowl of a food
processor, whirl flour, sugar, and salt until blended. Add butter and process
briefly until butter is the size of pea-sized crumbs. Add ice water, one
tablespoon at a time, until dough starts to gather together. Stop processing,
turn dough out onto waxed paper or cooking parchment, and gather lightly
together into a disk. Wrap loosely with paper and refrigerate for at least
one hour or overnight. Note: Over-processing
or over-handling the pastry dough will make it tough. Serves |
