Tarte Tatin — the upside-down caramelised apple tart invented at the Hotel Tatin at Lamotte-Beuvron — requires the apple caramelisation to reach a specific depth before the pastry is added, and the subsequent oven time to complete the Maillard development on the apple-caramel without burning the caramel. The inversion at service is both the dramatic reveal and the technical requirement: the caramel pools at the bottom of the pan during baking are the top of the finished tart.
- **The apples:** Firm apples (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith) — watery apples produce excess juice that dilutes the caramel. [VERIFY] Robuchon's apple specification. - **The caramel:** Made dry (sugar alone in the pan) or wet (sugar + water) to a deep amber in a heavy, oven-proof pan — the Maillard development at amber caramel temperature (170°C) produces the bitter edge that balances the apples' sweetness. - **The apple arrangement:** Packed tightly in the caramel, cut side up — they shrink significantly during cooking. - **The pastry:** Placed over the arranged apples and tucked in at the edges — not a sealed lid, just draped over. - **The oven:** 190°C until the pastry is golden and cooked through. - **The inversion timing:** 5–10 minutes after removing from oven — if inverted immediately, the apples have not had time to slightly set in the caramel and they slide. Too long: the caramel solidifies and the tart is difficult to release.
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