Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel the apples, cut them in half, remove the core, then cut a little off the top and bottom of each half so that both ends are flat.
- Place the cake tin directly on the baking tray, on a large sheet of aluminium foil, with the foil up the sides to catch any caramel spillage. Melt the butter with the sugar over a very low heat. Once the mixture has melted, arrange the apple halves tightly together, first all around and then in the centre, with the larger halves on top of the melted butter-sugar mixture. Set the remaining halves aside to add during cooking, when the apples have reduced in size..
- Cook over a low heat for about 2 hours, or until the caramel turns a dark brown. During cooking, don't forget to add the reserved apple halves as they reduce.
- While the apples are cooking, roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a disc about 24 cm in diameter, slightly larger than the tin so that you can slide the pastry slightly inside, between the apples and the sides.
- When the apples are cooked and the caramel has reached the desired colour, turn off the heat. Place the shortcrust pastry disc on top of the apples and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Keep a close eye on the cooking time and remove the tart as soon as the pastry is golden brown.
- As soon as the shortcrust pastry is golden brown, remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool for at least 1 hour, ideally between 1 and 2 hours.
- After cooling, return the pan to a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat the tart and liquefy the caramel again. As soon as everything is hot, remove from the heat, place the serving dish on the mould and turn the tart over.
- When ready to unmould, gently smooth the apples all around using a small spatula, to give them a nice shape and an even tart. Serve with a high-quality crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
I've chosen to lighten the traditional recipe by halving the butter and sugar. The result is a tart Tatin that's less nauseating, more balanced and brings out the natural flavour of the apples.