Crisp, juicy apples make wonderful tarte tatin

Although most supermarkets have bins of apples on sale throughout the year, late August through October is the best time to select fresh-picked, tree-ripened, local apples. On a recent visit to Lloyds Market in Lewes, I found several crates from Fifer Orchards filled with Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Fuji varieties. 

All this month you can attend one of Fifer’s Saturday Fall Fests to pick your own fruit directly from the orchard’s trees. Usually 8 or more of the 27 different types they grow are available each week. Mid-month, you can head to Bridgeville for the annual Apple Scrapple Festival where you can sample warm apple dumplings. 

Crisp, juicy apples are a wonderful snack to eat out of hand, but my favorite cooked apple dessert is tarte tatin. Food historians have long argued about the origins of this rich dish of caramelized apples baked under a pastry crust, then inverted onto a serving platter to showcase the glistening fruit. 

For all the details on the controversy related to its creation, you can visit the official website for this upside-down apple pie: tartetatin.org. You’ll learn about the two sisters who owned the Hotel Tatin in a small French town south of Paris and their accidental invention of the namesake dish. 

History is not clear about whether one of the harried innkeepers lost track of a pan of simmering apples and rescued them with a hasty crust or if she dropped an apple tart and quickly reassembled it with the filling exposed. Alternatively, the tarte tatin could simply be the evolution of the common cobbler into a fancy dessert. 

Debate has continued among scholars for decades and several books have been written on the topic, to include the 2011 publication of “La Tarte Tatin - Histoire et Légendes” by Henri Delétang. This illustrated account includes many details discovered in an old ledger from the Hotel Tatin and hints about the original recipe. 

No matter the specifics of its history, tarte tatin continues to fuel discussion. Across the internet, today’s bakers have not reached agreement about several aspects of the dish, except for one: which type of apples. Firm, baking apples capable of maintaining their shape are the only choice: Rome, Pink Lady or Granny Smith are all good options. 

The decision on whether to cut the peeled apples into quarters or eighths is another point. For me, this will depend upon the apples’ size: quarter the smaller apples; larger specimens should be cut into eight wedges. Cutting them any thinner doesn’t work for this preparation, and I would pay little attention to the arrangement of the apple pieces; they don’t need to be placed in concentric circles or standing upright like Stonehenge pillars. 

To assemble the tart, some recipes advise combining the apples, sugar and butter all at once in a pan, throwing on a crust and then baking until golden. In my experience, all this does is produce a one-crust apple pie without the signature caramelization. 

The preferred technique is to caramelize the butter and sugar in a cast-iron skillet, then stir in the apples and add the crust. This usually works, unless the apples are exceptionally juicy, which dilutes the caramel and prevents the formation of a deep brown color. We had a little problem with this (see photo) which could have been prevented if I’d cut the apples and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight to dry up a bit. 

The choice of crust, puff pastry or a traditional rolled pie crust is left to personal preference. I think the sturdier pie crust stands up nicely to the juices which can melt away a delicate puff pastry. I’ve included two ways to make this sweet treat, a dish that takes just a few ingredients to become something sublime, no matter how it was invented.

Tarte Tatin 

9-inch pie crust 
6 sturdy apples* 
8 T butter 
1 C sugar 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and core the apples; cut into quarters (eighths if the apples are large); set aside. Place a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add butter and once it melts scatter sugar across the pan. Continue cooking, stirring often, to melt sugar. Lower heat and continue swirling the caramel until deep amber in color. Pack the apples tightly together in a single layer in the skillet, core side up. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, continually spooning the caramel over the apples. Remove the pan from the heat and place the pastry over the apples, tucking in the edges. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place a serving plate upside down on the pan. In one swift motion, invert the pan and plate together releasing the tart onto the plate. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yield: 8 servings. 

*Select from Granny Smith, Braeburn, Fuji or Honeycrisp or a combination.

Tarte Tatin 

6 sturdy apples* 
1 sheet frozen puff pastry 
6 T butter 
2/3 C light brown sugar 

At least 24 hours before you plan to make the tart, peel and quarter the apples, trimming away the core and seeds.

Transfer apples to a rimmed baking sheet; arrange in a single layer. Cover the apples with a dishtowel and place in the refrigerator.

When ready to make the tart, preheat oven to 375 F. Defrost puff pastry sheet and roll out 1/8-inch thick. Cut out a circle the same diameter as the top of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet; set aside. Melt butter in the skillet and add sugar. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until mixture darkens and becomes thickened. Place the apples in the skillet in a single layer, rounded side down. Cook for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat and cover with puff pastry. Bake until pastry is firm and brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Place a serving plate on the skillet and invert tart onto plate. Yield: 8 servings. 

*Select from Granny Smith, Braeburn, Fuji or Honeycrisp or a combination.