Cool Autumn weather has been showing its face this
week and we were entertaining over the Easter Weekend. We had been given a bag
of lovely Elgin apples so the choice of our dessert was easy. This recipe is
very original, from the French; it uses lots of wicked things like sugar and
butter and is absolutely irresistible. Lynne usually uses short crust pastry
but decided this time, as time was short, not to make the pastry but to buy the
(you need a small mortgage) butter puff pastry from Woolworths. It rose like a
dream, but was thin and, despite leaving it in the oven a bit too long - the
apples were melting - was still soggy when turned out. The Americans have made
adaptations to the recipe which Lynne does not like. They always want things
easier and quicker. They are using huge chunks of apple and are cooking them in
a butter and sugar caramel before applying the pastry, which is always puff. We
prefer a paté brisée (a rich short crust pastry) and normal sliced apples. Peel
them if you like, don't if you prefer. Lynne makes this is in a heavy bottomed sauté pan with two handles.
First you make caramel in the pan, then you arrange the fruit, then top with pastry. Remember, Caramel is not pale, honey-coloured, nor
is it dark burnt brown. A nice red brown is enough
Rich Shortcrust
Pastry
175g plain flour - 50g icing sugar - a
pinch of salt - 90 g butter - 1 egg yolk - 2 tablespoons iced water - squeeze
of lemon juice
Sift flour and sugar with the salt, then rub in the
butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Mix the yolk and 1 tablespoon
water with lemon juice and mix into the flour with a knife. Use one hand to
quickly and gently press into a firm dough. Add more water if necessary, but do
not make the pastry too wet. Wrap in cling film and chill till ready to use.
You can also make this in a food processor.
Making the
caramel : 1/2 cup white sugar
Have ready a bowl
full of cold water large enough to take the base of the pan, so that you can
cool the caramel quickly to stop it burning. Put the pan on the heat and cover
the base with half a cup of sugar. Watching it carefully, allow it to turn
itself into caramel. Do not leave it alone, never stir and do not let it burn.
Do not touch it, you will get burned. When the caramel has reached a
good red amber colour, turn off the heat and put just the base of the pan into
the cold water to stop the caramelisation. Do not get any water into the pan.
Let it cool to a hard set
1 kilo Granny Smith
apples - 2 t lemon juice - 50 g butter - 50g brown Treacle or Demerara sugar -
50g vanilla castor sugar - 25 g butter
Preheat the oven
to 200°C
Peel, core and
slice the apples, approx 2 cm thick half moon slices. Sprinkle with lemon
juice. Put small teaspoonfuls of the soft butter on the base of the pan on top
of the set caramel, sprinkle over the treacle sugar. Then arrange
the apple slices in tight concentric circles in the pan, on
top of the sugar and the butter. Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and add the
25g of butter. Roll out the pastry into a circle just larger than the pan and
lay it on top of the apples, tucking the edges in down the sides of the apples.
Put into the oven for half an hour or until the pastry is golden and crisp
Turning out.
You will need a dish larger than the pan, with a good lip - Lynne uses a very
large quiche dish. Put the dish over the pan and, using tea towels to protect
your hands, carefully and quickly flip the pan over so that the tart upends into the
dish. Do this over a sink and make sure you flip away from yourself. This is
where you get loud applause from anyone looking. Get someone to help you if you
are nervous. There is always someone brave at a dinner party. There will be
lots of buttery caramel juices. Serve
immediately. We always flame the apples with a little calvados or
brandy. Serve with thick cream and or real vanilla custard. Serve with chilled
calvados or a Noble Late Harvest dessert wine
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2017
