“My first ever attempt at making an apple tarte tatin was in a competition at The Savoy hotel in London – talk about being thrown in at the deep end! It did not go well,” admits Marcus Wareing.
“I had no idea that the apples needed to be caramelised, which I soon realised is the key to a perfect tarte tatin. I’m happy to say that I’ve mastered the technique since then and this recipe is both foolproof and delicious.”
Apple tarte tatin with nutmeg cream
Ingredients:
(Serves 6-8, prep time 20 minutes, cooking time 50 minutes)
1 x 320g sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
100g cold butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
2 cardamom pods, bashed gently with a rolling pin to release the flavour
1 cinnamon stick
6-7 Braeburn apples, peeled and quartered
For the nutmeg cream:
200ml double or whipping cream
A grating of fresh nutmeg
Method:
1. To make the tarte tatin, roll the puff pastry on a floured work surface out to about three millimetres thick and cut around a plate to make a large circle, just bigger than the pan you’re going to use to make the tart. Cut three small slits in the pastry for the steam to escape and move to a baking parchment-lined tray. Place in the fridge to rest while you make the rest of the tart.
2. Spread the softened butter in an even layer over the base of a 20-24 centimetre ovenproof frying pan. Cover with the sugar and spices in another even layer. Arrange the apples on top in a spiral, overlapping one another.
3. Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7.
4. Place the pan on the hob over medium-high heat and cook until the butter and sugar start to bubble and form a caramel, this will take around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and then place the pastry circle over the apples, using a spoon to tuck the pastry in around the edges of the pan. Be careful, it will be very hot!
5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for five minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the nutmeg cream by whisking the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Spoon into a serving bowl and grate some fresh nutmeg over the top.
7. Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to ease away the caramelised pastry. Put a large plate over the tarte tatin in the pan and carefully flip both pan and plate over. Slowly lift the pan off to turn the tarte out. Serve with the nutmeg cream on the side.
Marcus’s France by Marcus Wareing is published in hardback by Harper NonFiction, priced £22. Photography by Matt Russell (2024). Available now.
