Weekend Baking: Apple Tarte Tatin

Thinking of baking this weekend? How does this apple tart Tatin recipe straight from the menu of Sydney’s acclaimed Manta Restaurant sound?

Serves: 2


Ingredients

Dough

250g strong flour

122ml water

50g unsalted butter, melted

6g salt

135g unsalted butter (to fold into the dough)

2 medium-sized royal gala apples

50g unsalted butter

120g caster sugar

Method

For the dough

1. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the 50g of melted butter into the bowl, add water and mix until the dough stretches when pulled apart (approx. 9 minutes).


2. Roll the dough out into a block, then cool for 30 minutes in the fridge.


3. After chilling, toll the block out to a 1cm thickness. Cut the 135g of butter into 1cm thick slices, and place them in the middle of the square, fold the edges of the dough into the middle.


4. Roll the dough out lengthways to a rectangular shape at a 6mm thickness, then fold the opposite ends in towards the middle, then close over like a book. Repeat three times but rest in the fridge for half an hour between folds.

5. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. Peal and core two green apples, cut into four even segments.


6. In a cold pan, spread the 50g of butter to an even thickness, sprinkle sugar evenly across the butter. While the pan is still cold, place the apple segments with the cored side facing up. Cook until the apples are caramelized on the rounded side. Set aside.


7. Roll out pastry to a 2mm thickness, cut out a disc to suit your baking ramekin. Stack each ramekin with caramel in the base, then the apples, and pastry on top (baking upside down). Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crisp. Turn the tarte tatin out onto a plate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.



Recipe from John Ralley, pastry chef at Manta Restaurant, 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo Wharf, Sydney.

What’s your favourite French dessert?