Culinary Tip of the Week: Apples
TARTE TATIN
(APPLE TART)

1 recipe Pâte Brisée
8 apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Paula Red, Northern Spy, Pippin, Honeycrisp)
¼ cup sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
6 TBS melted butter

PÂTE BRISÉE:

1½ cups flour
¾ tsp. salt
9 TBS cold unsalted butter
4–5 TBS ice water

Combine flour and salt on countertop. Add butter cut into 1 inch pieces. Rub butter and flour between fingertips until the butter is approximately pea-sized. Using fingers, form a “trough” lengthwise (vertically) through flour mixture. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and fluff it with your fingertips until large lumps form and the pastry is blended. Gather the dough together and flatten the dough with the heel of your hand so that the butter will layer between the flour. Rotate dough and repeat once again. Form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes.

CARAMEL:

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
Dash lemon juice

Peel and core the apples and cut each apple into ¼ inch wedges. Toss in a large bowl with
¼ cup of the sugar, lemon rind, and juice and let sit 30 minutes.

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL:

In a 9- or 10-inch skillet (cast iron enamel) heat the 1 cup sugar and water (add a few drops of lemon juice) over medium heat until a medium caramel forms. Set aside until ready to use.

TO ASSEMBLE: 

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Arrange apple slices in an attractive design of concentric circles on top of the caramel. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of sugar and some of the melted butter over the apples. Continue filling the skillet with apples, sugar, and melted butter until all the apples have been used and the skillet is filled.

Roll the dough ¼ inch thick, slightly larger than the skillet and fit it over the apples. Tuck edges of dough under and, touching edges of pan, crimping the dough with your fingers. Make a steam vent and bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Just before unmolding, set pan over moderate heat for 3 - 4 minutes, shaking the pan to loosen the apples. Carefully unmold onto a serving platter. Rearrange any apples out of order. Serve tart hot or warm with crème fraîche or whipped heavy cream sweetened with sugar.