Originally created at the eponymous Hotel Tatin in the Loire Valley of France, this sweet specialty was discovered when it was accidentally placed in the oven upside down. The blend of crusty pastry and caramelised apples is now a firm favourite across Europe, and a staple on our Sunday lunch menu at The Balmoral’s Brasserie Prince. Enjoy Head Chef Phil Hickman’s take on the fruity classic, ideal for your next family meal.
Recipe by Phil Hickman, Head Chef of Brasserie Prince by Alain Roux
Ingredients (Serves 4-6):
100g Unsalted Butter
150g Caster Sugar
4 Pink Lady Apples
Large puff pastry sheet
Equipment:
Creuset Tatin dish or similar, 20cm in diameter
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 180℃. Cut out a 24cm diameter disc from your puff pastry. You can use a plate as a stencil to cut the pastry. Then, place the pastry to cool in the fridge.
2) Peel and core the apples, then cut each in half. Spread a little butter onto the base and sides of the Creuset Tatin dish, and sprinkle with sugar. Place the apples into the dish with the outer sides facing down.
3) Place the dish over a medium heat and caramelise until the sugar turns golden brown, turning the apples regularly to obtain an even colour without burning them.
4) Remove the dish from the heat and leave the apples to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, place the puff pastry dish over the apples, gently tucking the edges of the pastry over the apples using a spoon.
5) Bake at 180℃ for 25 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
6) Wearing oven mitts, place a serving plate over the tatin and flip it upside down to take it out of the Creuset dish. Serve and enjoy.
For Marc Ducobu, chocolate isn’t just an ingredient; it's an art form. And, as an award-winning Belgian chocolatier and ‘pastry maverick’, he knows a thing or two about it.
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