Tarte tatin is traditionally an upside-down caramelised apple tart. The history of tarte tatin is that it was supposedly created accidentally in the late 1800s by the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, in their inn south of Paris. The story goes that Stéphanie, whose speciality was apple pie, one day forgot to add the pastry to a pie before it went in the oven. When she realised this, she quickly put a sheet of dough on top of the caramelised apples and saved the dish by flipping it upside-down when she took it out. The tart was made famous by a celebrated Parisian restaurant critic who included the tart in his French travel guide. The rest – as they say – is history. This version pairs the bitter taste of lemon with the gooey sweet caramel and moreish puff pastry – it’s an easy-peasy version too as it uses frozen puff pastry. No need to make the pastry from scratch.
To try another twist on tarte tatin, check out this recipe for strawberry tarte tatin. Or, try this apple galette with caramel cream for a taste sensation.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Place the pastry sheets on top of one another and press gently to join, creating one 5mm-thick piece of pastry. Roll to 4mm thick. Using a plate as a guide, cut a 28cm round from the pastry. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Place the sugar and water in a 21cm-round (base measurement) heavy ovenproof frying pan over low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 7-9 minutes or until light golden.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, into the caramel. Top with the pastry round and fold the edges under to tuck in the lemon slices.
Using a sharp knife, make 3 small cuts in the centre of the pastry. Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife. Carefully turn out the tart to serve. Serve warm, scattered with lemon thyme and drizzled with honey.