Arrange apple slices on a bed of caramel, top them with pastry crust, unmold so the crust is on the bottom, and what do you get? La Tarte Tatin. The history of this divine decadence, along with my step-by-step recipe:
Who invented this tart? Well, Tatin (pronounced tah-TAN) refers to the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. In the 1880s, the hotel was run by two sisters, Stephanie and Caroline Tatin. According to various sources, La Tarte Tatin was born when Stephanie accidentally burned a one-crust apple pie in the oven. To hide the damage, she served the pie upside down. So smitten were guests by Stephanie's blunder that it quickly became a regular feature on the menu.
I make the tart this way:
To start, put the zest and juice of 1 lemon into a large, blue bowl.
Tip: If you don't have a lemon-squeezing gadget, by all means obtain one. It's an inexpensive item that works like a charm.
Then grab six "baking apples" -- the kind that will hold their shape when cooked. I prefer 'Golden Delicious,' but other good baking-varieties include 'Fuji,' 'Gala,' and 'Granny Smith.'
Core, peel, and quarter the apples...
Then cut the quarters in half.
Add the apples to the lemon mixture, and toss them about with a polka-dotted spatula.
Add 1/2 cup sugar, and toss again.
After the apples have exuded their juices for 15 minutes, drain them in a colander or sieve. Don't omit the draining-step, or your tart won't set up properly. I speak from experience.
Meanwhile, dice up a stick of butter, and melt it over medium heat in a well-seasoned, 8-inch diameter cast-iron skillet.
No 8-inch cast-iron skillet for you? Run out and purchase one. It's not an expensive item, and it will last you forever.
Stephanie Tatin, whom we referenced earlier, did not use "All Clad," or any other kind of skillet. As indicated by her bulging biceps, she used heavy cast-iron.
Disclaimer: I do not know for a fact that demoiselle Tatin had bulging biceps.
After the butter melts, add 1 cup sugar.
Stir slowly and constantly until the mixture turns caramel brown -- 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
In a single layer on top of the hot caramel, arrange the apple slices in an attractive pattern. Concentric circles are always nice.
No picture of this next step, because I forgot to take one: Dump the remaining apples on top. You needn't arrange these, as they won't be on "public view."
Return the skillet to a medium-low flame.
Now grab the bulb baster you haven't touched since last Thanksgiving...
And use it to suck up and redistribute the caramel over the apples.
Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and let the apples cook for 15 minutes.
Also, center the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Meanwhile...roll out your pastry crust. It should be 9 inches in diameter.
Off heat, place the crust over the apples, and tuck it in along the pan's edge.
Poke four or five small holes into the pastry, as above, to allow steam to escape.
Bake for exactly 20 minutes. The pastry crust will have browned slightly, and the caramel and apple juices -- if you tilt the pan -- will be syrupy-thick.
Tip: If, after tilting your pan, the juices are runny rather than thick, just set the skillet over a medium flame for a couple of minutes to evaporate some of the moisture.
While everything is still hot, set an inverted plate or serving platter over the skillet...
Invert the two...
Et voila -- La Tarte Tatin!
Oh. If a few apples stick to the pan, just replace them on the tart. Or eat them.
You can serve this French opulence warm or cold, and with or without ice cream, creme fraiche, or whipped cream.
For your utter convenience, here's a copy-and-paste version of the above:
La Tarte Tatin
As made by Kevin Lee Jacobs (www.kevinleejacobs.com)
Ingredients for one 8-inch tart, serving 6-8
The juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
6 "baking" apples, such as 'Golden Delicious,' 'Fuji,' or 'Gala'
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
Pastry Dough (I use and recommend all-butter Pate Brisee)
Put the lemon zest and juice into a large bowl. Core, peel, and quarter the apples, then cut the quarters in half. Add the apples to the lemon mixture, top with 1/2 cup sugar, and gently toss with a spatula until all slices are coated. Let the apples exude their juice for 15 minutes, then drain.
Melt the butter in a well-seasoned, 8-inch diameter cast-iron skillet set over a medium flame. Add the remaining sugar, and stir slowly and constantly until the mixture turns a rich caramel-brown -- 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a single layer on top of the hot caramel, arrange apple slices in an attractive pattern, such as concentric circles. Dump the remaining apples on top (you don't have to "arrange" these, as they won't be on public view after the tart is unmolded). Return the skillet to medium-low heat.
Using a bulb baster, suck up some of the caramel, and redistribute it over the apple slices. Then cover the skillet, and let the apples cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, roll the dough to 9 inches in a diameter. Set the oven rack at the center position; preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the dough of the apples, and gently tuck it in along the edge of the pan. Then make 4 or 5 small holes in the crust, to allow steam to escape.
Bake for exactly 20 minutes. The dough will brown slightly, and the juices will have evaporated into a thick syrup. If, after tilting the pan, the juices seem watery rather than thick, just set the skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, or until some (though not all!) of the juices evaporate.
Immediately set an upside-down serving dish or platter over the skillet. Invert to unmold the tart.
Serve warm or cold, and with or without ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream or creme fraiche.
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More delicious eats from Kevin:
Chicken and Mushrooms in Tarragon Cream
Thyme and Wine Beef Stew (GF)
My Very Serious Brownies
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