183 replies to this topic

[Suvir Saran]

Tarte Tatin thread from the French Forum

I am craving Tarte Tatin big time. I am sad because my bac back is bothering me a lot. And I wonder if I should make some...Shall I risk it? Hurting my back more... Not sure... But I am craving some badly... Most restaurant versions are not ever good enough for me. I have been spoiled... Jaybee has made promises... But not sure when I will get a taste of his Tarte Tatin... Scott Campbell at SQC makes a great Tarte Tatin.. But I am too lazy to go out with this pain.

SO... I call out to all you caring eGulleteers to share recipes for Tarte Tatin... And in the meantime... I shall take some painkillers.. and hope I feel fine enough to bake some this evening.

Recipes anyone?

[nightscotsman]

I use Lindsey Shere's recipe from "Chez Panisse Desserts". It's very, very simple with no added spices or lemon juice - just caramel, apples and puff pastry. Nowhere to hide . I like to use golden delicious only during the few weeks when the new crop is available, otherwise I use granny smith. A cast iron skillet works great for me.

I personally think puff pastry is essential, though you can use a quick puff recipe that doesn't require the two separate doughs. Recently I just tried Pierre Herme's "inside out" puff pastry method and found it to be easier to work with, faster, and extremely light and flaky.

When I can time the ripeness properly, I actually far prefer pear tarte tatin to apple. The pears hold up better baking at high temps and the combo of pear/caramel/butter is heavenly. I've been wanting to try peaches, but I can never seem to hold back from eating them fresh to use them in a tarte.

[jaybee]

If you're trying to make me feel guilty, you've succeeded. But I still can't give you a firm committment as to when I'll be able to make one.
Soon though, before Christmas....

[Suvir Saran]

If you're trying to make me feel guilty, you've succeeded.  But I still can't give you a firm committment as to when I'll be able to make one.
Soon though,  before Christmas....

I have graduated in my Guilt giving class. That was the idea...

Jaybee, seriously, I have wanted to try your Tarte Tatin ever since you first wrote about it and with all that passion. Rare to find another person that cares about this dessert so intimately.

Before Christmas? Great... Tell me when and where. What should I make for you? Something Indian maybe? Or maybe I can make a couple of pound cakes. If you like simple homey cakes.

Is a recipe for your famous Tarte Tatin too much to ask for? Do you even have one? Do you just prepare it from your mind? Where was the inspiration from?

Where have you had some good Tarte Tatin lately?

[Suvir Saran]

I use Lindsey Shere's recipe from "Chez Panisse Desserts". It's very, very simple with no added spices or lemon juice - just caramel, apples and puff pastry. Nowhere to hide . I like to use golden delicious only during the few weeks when the new crop is available, otherwise I use granny smith. A cast iron skillet works great for me.

I personally think puff pastry is essential, though you can use a quick puff recipe that doesn't require the two separate doughs. Recently I just tried Pierre Herme's "inside out" puff pastry method and found it to be easier to work with, faster, and extremely light and flaky.

When I can time the ripeness properly, I actually far prefer pear tarte tatin to apple. The pears hold up better baking at high temps and the combo of pear/caramel/butter is heavenly. I've been wanting to try peaches, but I can never seem to hold back from eating them fresh to use them in a tarte.

Thanks for sharing this information. I have the book. Now I need to find it and look at the recipe.

[bripastryguy]

When I was at Oceana we made them to order. I preferred pear also.

Method: Use an individual pie pan or cast iron skillet apprx. 4" in diameter.

Make a wet caramel then pour out onto silpat and allow to harden. Crack into small pieces. Take 1/2 a pear, peel, core and slice.

Spray the pie pan with nonstick spray. Place a pat of butter, a few pieces of caramel then lay the pear across. Cover with a disk of puff pastry. Vent with a few holes and bake in a 375F oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven). And invert onto serving plate. I served this with Fennel Ice cream studed with dried cranberries and candied fennel stalks

[jaybee]

Is a recipe for your famous Tarte Tatin too much to ask for? Do you even have one? Do you just prepare it from your mind? Where was the inspiration from?

Suvir, two demerits for not paying attention in class.

My "recipe" is posted on the original thread you linked us to.

I'll repeat it if you'd like. LXT made a few following this approach and reported excellent results.

[snowangel]

I like to use golden delicious only during the few weeks when the new crop is available, otherwise I use granny smith.

Why golden delicious or granny smiths? I don't think I've ever had these apples (I have a very close friend who owns and runs an orchard, and they don't grow these).

[jaybee]

Granny Smiths have a firmer texture and hold their bite better, More importantly, they are a tart apple and so contrast with the sugar and butter nicely. Goldens are good but can be mushier and they are also not as tart as GSs. Around here (NY) Granny Smiths seem to be in good supple most times of year.

[nervousnelli]

Excuse my ignorance but is a Tarte Tatin always made with apples - I have a craving for one of those savory tarts with carmelized onions on top (or as a filling - is that what it's called?) Just wondering about the true definition of Tarte Tatin.

[snowangel]

Thanks, jaybee, for the apple info. I think I'll use Haralsons, and will report of success. They are readily available here (more so than goldens or grannys), great firm texture and they are nice and tart. In Minnesota, they are the choice of bakers for these reasons. I have a ton of them, and we're tired of the "usual" applications (applesauce, pies, muffins, etc.). And, anything with caramel, in our house, just seems to evaporate.

[Bux]

If I didn't have the best tarte tatin of my life this Thanksgiving, I certainly had one of the best. I'm not sure if it was as good as the pear tarte with hazelnut crust, almond cream and hazelnut streusel topping, but then I'm prone to favoring pears and almonds in dessert.

I am told the recipe came from Dorie Greenspan's new Paris Treats or is it Sweets (I'm embarrassed, Dorie is a friend) cookbook. The apples used were Mutsu's from the Greenmarket (Breezy Hill Orchards, I believe).

[jaybee]

OK, here's how I loined to make TT. The trickiest part is getting the caramel right. The trick of settingthe caramel in ice water once it reaches the right color was what saved me from an uneven end result. Many recipes call for cooking the apples and sugar together for the carmel. This does not work for me--it produces mushy apples and unsatisfactory caramel.


7-8 Granny Smith apples
8 tbs of good (Normandy) butter
Pie pastry of your favorite kind
1 1/2 cups sugar, preferably vanilla'd sugar.
1 large lemon
cinnamon
nutmeg


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. The pastry

Make a 9" or 11" pie crust to your favorite recipe or use a Pillsbury frozen pie crust. (with a lot of good Normandy butter, this pie crust tastes pretty good. Cut 2-3 small holes to release steam when baking.
Set pie crust aside in cool place for later.

2. The apples

Peel and core 7-8 Granny Smiths. Cut all but one of them into eight to ten even wedge slices. Cut one whole apple in half lengthwise. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl in which you have put 1/2 cup sugar (vanilla'd sugar is preferable), the juice and the zest of one large lemon.
Sprinke the apples with fresh ground cinnamon and nutmeg to taste and stir them to coat with sugar and lemon juice. Let apples marinate in this for at least 20 minutes. Stir a few times to mix and coat the apples with the lemon juice and sugar. Meanwhile make the caramel

3. The caramel

Using an "official" tarte tatin pan or cast iron skillet (or other heavy bottomed skillet that transfers heat well) put one cup sugar (I use vanilla'd sugar) and 8 tbs of good butter in the pan and cook over medium heat stirring frequently. Have a shallow pan (big enough to hold the caramel pan) filled with ice water standing nearby. Cook the caramel until it turns slightly darker than the rich brown color but not too far once a really dark color begins to appear. The darker the color the sharper (bitter) wil be the caramel. The trick here is to get a little bitter but not too much. Once it starts to go it goes fast! Turn off heat and carefully place the caramel pan in the ice water to stop the cooking. Watch that no water spills over the sides.

4. Assembly

Drain the apples and begin to place them on the now hard caramel. Start by placing the halved apple in the center, putting one half on top of the other. Remember you are looking at the bottom of the tart. Arrange the slices in an artful fashion around the center. working from inside to the outside. You can make the tart thicker toward the center and thinner towrd the outer edges if you like.

5. Stove top cooking

Place the apples back on medium to high heat and cover. When the caramel and juices run freely, use a bulb baster to draw the juices up and over the appleas. Repeat every 10 minutes or so. After about 15 minutes, uncover and continue basting for another 10 minutes until the apples are a rich dark color and have a soft texture. Remove from the heat and cover with apples with the pastry.

6. Oven baking

Place the pan on a cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake until
pastry is golden btown and firm. (about 20 minutes). remove from oven.
The juices should be thick and syrupy. If the juices are too runny, cook on stove top a few more minutes.

7. The flip

Place a large serving dish over the top of the pan. Using oven mits, hold the serving dish and the hot tart pan together and quickly but carefully turn the whole thing over. Lift the tart pan off using a knife to get purchase under the rim of the pan. Slowly remove pan, replacing any apples that have stuck to it or fallen out in the process.

Let tart cool a little. do not cover. Serve warm with valnilla ice cream or creme fraiche.

[KarenS]

I cook the apples and caramel all at one time on the stove top (you can even use a heavy weight cake pan). I then cool down the pan- then add the chilled and rested flakey pie dough ( it does not have to be puff dough). When apples are in season (and fresh), your choice of apple is not as important. I have been using galas lately. I core and cut the apples in 6 pieces (or in half). For a 10 inch tarte, I might use 2c sugar and 4 oz butter. I put the pan on and just melt the butter and sugar. i add a little water. I take the pan off, add way more apples then I think that I need, and cook on medium high heat. If I notice hot spots, I turn the pan and add a little splash of water. I keep fitting in the apples they cook down (you want a tight fit). I keep checking the apples by turning them over with my spatula). When the apples are caramelised (and your caramel is thick) i pull the pan off the heat.
My opinion is that if you cook the caramel separately, you lose a lot of the apple caramel taste. I learned in France that it should all be cooked together in one pan and then add the dough and bake. it does not take much measuring- it is a rustic tart.

[azlee]

Suvir-
Believe it or not, the recipe in Martha Stewart's "Pies and Tarts" works well if you use a well seasoned cast iron pan. Apples and caramel are cooked together in that recipe and a simple pate brisee dough is used rather than puff pastry.

But if you're not a Martha fan and these days it such an unfashionable thing to be, you don't really need to follow a strict recipe. Basically, you start your favorite simple caramel recipe (1.5 cups of sugar to 1/2 cup of butter and ~1/3 cup water) in a big cast iron frying pan (black cast iron please, no Le Creuset for this), using the best unsalted butter that you can find. Once it starts to thicken add as many apples or pear slices as will fit the pan, compacting as they cook down over low heat. Top with your favorite pastry crust, puff or otherwise. I like a thick crust between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Bake in a 375 or 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the crust is a nice brown. Loosen the edges then let cool for about as long as you had let it bake. Invert over serving dish and eat immediately.

[Suvir Saran]

Thanks everyone!

Jaybee, I use Julia Child's recipe and have always had great success with it. She does cook the apples in the caramel.. and she suggests using Granny Smiths so that they do not turn too mushy. If you follow her instructions... and I always do, you will never fail. My TT is great... But I am sure with your passion for it... I feel you would have me way behind.

Sorry I forgot that thread had the recipe. I had forogotten. Sorry!

I did not bother remembering the recipe for when you posted it, you had also promised making one for me.

Thanks for taking time to share all those details again.

And my sincere thanks to all that have shared so generously... Keep it flowing.. I hope we can learn a lot more from each other about this grand dessert.

[FoodMan]

All this talk about Tart Tatin made me want to try one for myself. Since I've never had a real tart Tatin before I thought it would be a good experience and an exercise in French cooking. So I decided to follow Julia's recipe from "Mastering the Art..." and I added a little twist--- Texas Pecans in between the apples. The result was a deliciouse buttery upside down tart. The only thing that I might change next time is the thickness of the pastry (I also used Julia's recipe for short sweet pastry crust) to make it a little thicker. have a look and let me know if it should look much different.







FM

[Suvir Saran]

All this talk about Tart Tatin made me want to try one for myself. Since I've never had a real tart Tatin before I thought it would be a good experience and an exercise in French cooking. So I decided to follow Julia's recipe from "Mastering the Art..." and I added a little twist--- Texas Pecans in between the apples. The result was a deliciouse buttery upside down tart. The only thing that I might change next time is the thickness of the pastry (I also used Julia's recipe for short sweet pastry crust) to make it a little thicker. have a look and let me know if it should look much different.







FM

You did a great job!



I must thank 201 for the above image.

I mean it. Not many people, including Julia can make one so perfect without great care. Many have served me a Tarte Tatin that did not turn over completely. Sometimes parts of the apple and caramel remain stuck in the skillet. Due to there being very little moisture.

But your tarte tatin looks perfectly rendered. My caramel is usually a little darker. But I have had it in Paris with the caramel being closer to what yours is.

Congratulations! You should be very proud. It is not the most elegant and fancy of desserts, but is certainly not the easiest one to prepare.

I am sure your tarte tatin will make many happy.

How did you like its taste? What would you want to do differently? I know you said make the dough thinnner... But what else? What did you eat it with? I have enjoyed it with creme fraiche or even plain ole vanilla ice cream or just by itself.

What kind of crust did you use?

[awbrig]

wow, that second one looks good with the walnuts...i bet that would be good with a scoop of home made whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream too...

[Suvir Saran]

wow, that second one looks good with the walnuts...i bet that would be good with a scoop of home made whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream too...

Sweetheart, there is no second one.
It is the same one, before being turned over.
That is what makes a tarte tatin special.
For all that friendship with CT, you often do amaze me with your marvelous innocence.
Good for you....
I guess you really are a perfect Mid Westerner.

[Suvir Saran]

wow, that second one looks good with the walnuts...

Try Pecans, maybe?
What is up with you?
Wear your glasses Awbrig. Please.

[Suvir Saran]

i bet that would be good with a scoop of home made whipped cream

Is there any other kind?

[awbrig]

wow, the bowl changed from white to blue before my very eyes! the internet is amazing!

[Suvir Saran]

vanilla bean ice cream

would be perfect with tarte tatin I must admit.

[Suvir Saran]

wow, the bowl changed from white to blue before my very eyes!  the internet is amazing!

Cause it was upturned from the baking pie dish onto a serving platter.

[awbrig]

Cause it was upturned from the baking pie dish onto a serving platter.

i gotta enroll in those mind reading courses again

[Suvir Saran]

Cause it was upturned from the baking pie dish onto a serving platter.

i gotta enroll in those mind reading courses again

I was trained to understand it as paying attention. Not mind reaidng.
The pics posted are Great.
In fact even the towel that could have been used in the turning process is shown.
For those with a trained eye, that is another great proof that the man taking the pics really did prepare it themselves (Or at least someone in that setting where the pic was taken may have).

[awbrig]

Suvir, im sorry for making a mistake. i didnt catch the towel in the turning process.

Both pics have 2 different containers, one appears to have walnuts or pecans in it and the other doesn't. i dont think I was being completely wacko in thinking they were possibly two different batches. But again, maybe I was. in which case, what the hell was I thinking,,,I guess im not that samrt...

Edited by awbrig, 09 December 2002 - 11:13 PM.

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir, im sorry for making a mistake. i didnt catch the towel in the turning process.

Both pics have 2 different containers, one appears to have walnuts or pecans in it and the other doesn't.  i dont think I was being completely wacko in thinking they were possibly two different batches.  But again, maybe I was.  in which case, what the hell was I thinking,,,I guess im not that samrt...

Awbrig,

Tarte Tatin is like an upside down cake. Remember those? They are an American confection.
You should at least be familiar with those sweet man.

A tarte tatin is prepared in a skillet or pan.. and then upturned onto a platter. In doing so, the crust that you see on the top (first pic) goes to the bottom in the serving platter. In doing that, the apples and in this case also the pecans, come to the top (second pic).

It is not that difficult. But I guess it is simpler once you have made them. They are delicious. Have you never eaten a tarte tatin? Maybe CT can have their pastry chef make you one and also give you a demo. I am sure for all the work you do promoting him on eGullet, that is the least he can do:raz:

The 2 pics have different containers for one is the container in which the tarte tatin was baked and the other is the platter in which it is being served.

[Suvir Saran]

Not to lose the topic... FoodMan, thanks for the pics... Your tarte tatin looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the pic... You are very naughty though.. Now I am craving a bite.

Maybe Mlpc, or one of the other pastry chefs we have here can share their own experiences with this dessert. Mine unfortunately are based on what you did.
I learned how to make pastries from Julia Child (through her books).
And I thank her every day.