Tarte Tatin

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 150 g all-purpose flour with 10 g superfine sugar and a pinch salt, rub 90 g cold unsalted butter into the flour, then drizzle in 40 g ice water and quickly gather it into a dough. The pastry needs only a little sugar because the apples are already very sweet. The dough is ready when it just holds together and you can still see small streaks of butter.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Flatten the dough, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for about forty-five minutes. Chilled, rested dough is easier to roll, and the lid won't shrink as it bakes. The dough is ready when it's cold and firm and no longer sticky.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Peel 1,100 g apples, cut them into quarters and core them, then toss them with 10 g lemon juice and 3 g vanilla extract if using. Lemon keeps the apples from browning and balances the sweetness of the caramel. The apples are ready when the pieces are evenly sized and lightly glossy with lemon juice.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Heat the oven to 190°C and have a 24 cm round pan with a fixed bottom ready; don't use a springform pan. A fixed-bottom pan keeps the caramel from leaking out. The oven is ready when the heating light turns off.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Sprinkle 150 g granulated sugar in an even layer in a saucepan and cook over medium heat without stirring, just swirling the pan gently until the sugar melts and turns amber, then add 60 g unsalted butter with a pinch salt and stir well. Butter makes the caramel soft and silky and takes the edge off its bitterness. The caramel is ready when it's a glossy copper-brown and bubbling finely.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Pour the caramel into the pan right away, then stand the apple pieces on their sides, tightly packed in circles with the rounded side down, cramming them in because the apples will shrink as they bake. Packing them tightly gives a tart that turns out beautifully with no gaps. The pan is ready when the apples cover the bottom completely and sit slightly above the rim.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bake the pan of apples on its own at 190°C for 25 to 30 minutes so they soften and release juice that mingles with the caramel. Pre-baking lets the apples cook through before they're sealed under the pastry. The apples are ready when they've sunk down level with the rim and the caramel is bubbling thickly around the edges.

   Bake at 190°C for about 25 to 30 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   While the apples bake, roll the dough into a round about two centimeters wider than the pan and about 3 mm thick, then keep it on parchment paper in the fridge. The slightly larger lid lets you tuck the edges down around the apples. The lid is ready when it's evenly round, untorn and still cold.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Lay the pastry lid over the apples, use a spoon to tuck the edges down between the apples and the side of the pan, cut a few small slits, then bake at 190°C for another 25 to 30 minutes. The tucked edges form a rim that holds the apples in place when you flip the tart. The tart is done when the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the caramel is bubbling up at the edges.

   Bake at 190°C for about 25 to 30 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Take the tart out and let it rest on a rack for about ten minutes. The caramel needs to cool a little to thicken, but not so much that it sets hard. It's ready when tilting the pan shows the caramel no longer runs like water.

    Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Run a knife around the side of the pan, set a large plate on top, put on oven mitts, hold everything tightly and flip it over in one decisive move, then lift off the pan. Flipping while the tart is still warm lets the apples and caramel slide out in one piece. The tart is ready when the apples are glossy and amber; if any pieces stick to the pan, just lift them out and put them back in place.

    Mark step 11 as done