Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, 320 g, thawed
• 80 g unsalted butter
• 100 g caster sugar
• 6–7 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored
• 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped
• 2 ml vanilla extract
• 2 g fine sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 200°C; arrange oven rack in middle position.
2. 2
   Heat 80 g butter and sugar in 28 cm cast-iron or steel tarte Tatin mold or heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, stirring with wooden spoon until golden caramel forms (5 minutes).
3. 3
   Remove from heat; add vanilla seeds and extract; arrange apple halves cut-side up in concentric circles, fitting them snugly; sprinkle with salt.
4. 4
   Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, basting apples with caramel; remove from heat.
5. 5
   Lay puff pastry sheet over apples, tucking edges down inside mold; prick with fork.
6. 6
   Bake 25–30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and apples are very tender when pierced with knife.
7. 7
   Remove from oven; let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto serving plate in one smooth motion, allowing caramel to drip over pastry.
8. 8
   Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.