The secret of a proper tarte Tatin

Tarte tatin is an upside-down apple tart: apples cooked in butter and caramel, covered with pastry, baked, then flipped onto a plate. Served warm with a spoonful of cold, tangy crème fraîche, it is one of the great French desserts, and one of the simplest to make at home.

The tart is named after the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who ran a hotel in Lamotte-Beuvron, in the Loire Valley, in the late 19th century. The popular story says one of them forgot the pastry, put it on top of the apples as an afterthought and turned the tart out once baked. Whether or not that is true, the dish travelled to Paris and became a classic of French bistro menus.

The technique is what matters: a well-judged caramel, apples packed tightly, and a confident flip at the end. Here is how we make it.

Ingredients

• 7 to 8 firm apples (about 1.2 kg), such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith or Pink Lady
• 150 g caster sugar
• 80 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• A pinch of fleur de sel
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry (about 300 g)
• Crème fraîche, to serve

• Choose apples that hold their shape when cooked. Soft, floury varieties collapse into purée and release too much juice.

Method

1. Prepare the apples. Peel, core and quarter them. If you have time, leave them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight: they dry out slightly and release less juice during cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
3. Make the caramel. Spread the sugar evenly in the pan over medium heat. Do not stir; swirl the pan gently as the sugar melts, until it turns a deep amber. Take it off the heat and add the butter and fleur de sel, swirling until smooth. Be careful: caramel is extremely hot.
4. Arrange the apples. Stand the quarters on their side, rounded edge down, packed as tightly as possible in concentric circles. They shrink as they cook, so overfill rather than leave gaps.
5. Cook on the stove. Return the pan to medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the caramel bubbles up around the apples and they start to soften.
6. Add the pastry. Roll the pastry slightly larger than the pan. Lay it over the apples and tuck the edges down inside the pan. Cut two or three small slits to let steam escape.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden.
8. Rest and flip. Leave the tart for 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, place a serving plate over the pan and, holding both firmly with oven gloves, turn it over in one quick movement. Lift off the pan and put back any apple pieces that have stuck.
9. Serve warm with a generous spoonful of crème fraîche.

Tips and common mistakes

• Caramel too pale: the tart will be sweet but flat. Wait for a deep amber colour before adding the butter.
• Caramel too dark: if it smells burnt or turns almost black, it will be bitter. Start again; it only costs a little sugar.
• Too much juice: watery apples or gaps between them lead to a soggy tart. Use firm apples, dry them in advance and pack them tightly.
• Stuck to the pan: if you wait too long before turning it out, the caramel sets. Warm the pan on the stove for a minute, then flip.
• Make ahead: the tart can be baked a few hours in advance and left in the pan. Reheat it briefly on the stove or in the oven before turning it out.

Why crème fraîche

In France, tarte tatin is traditionally served with crème fraîche rather than whipped cream or ice cream. Its slight acidity cuts through the sweetness of the caramel, and the contrast between warm tart and cold cream is the whole point.

If you can't find it, it is easy to make at home:

1. Mix 250 ml fresh cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a clean jar.
2. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, until thickened.
3. Stir, then refrigerate. It keeps for about a week and thickens further in the fridge.

Learn the techniques with us.

Tarte tatin isn't on our current class menus, but the skills behind it are at the heart of what we teach: making a caramel with confidence, handling pastry and understanding how ingredients behave with heat. Our crêpes Suzette, for instance, rely on the same caramelised orange-butter technique.

Browse our current menus and book a class to cook French classics hands-on. And if you'd like to see tarte tatin on a future menu, let us know.