Tarte Tatin
An upside-down tart of apples cooked in buttery caramel under a golden pastry crust. It is flipped out to show glossy, burnished fruit.
Franse tarte tatin: Djenghisz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Tarte Tatin is a French specialty from the Loire region, said to have come from a hotel kitchen where an apple tart was baked upside down. It is one of the best-loved homey French desserts.
Explore the cuisine of France.
Recipe
Make Tarte Tatin at home
Ingredients
- 6 firm apples (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious), peeled and halved
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 4 tbsp (55 g) butter
- 1 sheet puff pastry or 1 pie crust
- Pinch of salt
- Cream or creme fraiche to serve
How it's made
- Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
- Melt the butter and sugar in an oven-safe 10-inch (25 cm) skillet; cook until amber caramel.
- Arrange the apple halves tightly in the caramel, rounded side down.
- Cook on the stove 10 minutes until the apples soften and the juices thicken.
- Drape the pastry over the apples and tuck in the edges.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden.
- Rest 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate and serve warm.
Variations
- Pear tatin: use firm pears.
- Savory tatin: caramelized onion or tomato.
- Quince tatin: slower cooking for a firmer fruit.
Cook’s tip: Pack the apples tightly; they shrink as they cook and leave gaps if arranged loosely.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Franse tarte tatin: Djenghisz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)