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PrintEdible History: La Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is one of my favorite desserts for a couple of reasons. It’s as simple to make as it is delicious, but it also has an interesting, if not muddled, history. I’ve often said that being a good cook takes a lot of common sense, and the ingenuity behind this recipe’s provenance is proof. In Alan Davidson’s encyclopedic tome, The Oxford Companion to Food, he plainly states that Tarte Tatin is simply an upside-down French apple tart. While that pared down definition may be technically accurate, there is so much more to the story.
What is known is that the dessert takes its name from the Tatin sisters—Stéphanie and Caroline—who, in the 1880s, owned a hotel near the train station in the small French town of Lamotte-Beuvron. The Hotel Tatin is about 100 miles south of Paris and is, in fact, still in operation. From here, the story gets a bit blurry.
One theory is that the sisters were trying to impress the influx of Paris sophisticates who were traveling into the newly built train station and, having a wood-fired stove of old design—one without an oven—they developed a tart made from local apples that was baked upside-down on top of the stove under a covered dome. If the delicate pastry had come into direct contact with the wood-fire stove heat, it would have burned before the apples were sufficiently cooked. Therefore, the apples were placed in the pan first, followed by butter and sugar, and then the pastry; this way, both the apples and pastry cooked properly while the butter and sugar formed a caramel. Once cooked, the tart was inverted onto a plate, right side up. Romantic, right? Well, this theory is one of a few, and, truth be told, this recipe—like many great ones—may have been the result of … well, an accident.
What likely happened, and this is the theory promoted by both the hotel’s website and a website dedicated entirely to this recipe—Friends of the Tarte Tatin (tartetatin.org)—is that the sisters were busy in the kitchen and nearly burned some apples they were cooking in a pan on the stovetop. To save them, they hastily threw some tart dough on top of the apples. The tart dough cooked evenly and the apples caramelized, forming a glaze. And when the sweet was turned right side up, it was a glistening tart to behold.
There are other theories, of course. Some say that similar recipes were baked long before this, and that the Tatin sisters were merely the first to name one. Whatever the truth, it’s remarkable that this recipe has stood the test of time. Today, of course, with the help of the Internet, news travels nearly instantly. But back then, a new recipe was likely taken back to Paris by train and passed by word of mouth until it was known by many.
It’s also noteworthy that Tarte Tatin and its many adaptations are still served in contemporary restaurants.
Variations on the classic recipe are simply substitutions—replacing apples with pears or peaches, for example—but there many savory options as well. Many bear little resemblance to the original, but they are truly delicious upside down tarts. When you try the original recipe, remember not only that there is a bit of history in every bite, but also to worry less about making mistakes—sometimes they lead to great discoveries.
Pâte Brisée (Tart Dough)
Makes one 10-inch tart dough
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup cold water
Combine flour, salt, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With the motor running, add water; process only until it forms a loose, crumbly ball. Remove dough from machine and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
Tarte Tatin
Makes one 10-inch tart
6 Granny Smith apples
4 ounces unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 recipe pâte brisée
Preheat oven to 350F. Peel, core, and quarter apples. Melt butter and sugar in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Add apples skin-side down. Shaking the pan often to prevent sticking, cook the apples until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat.
Roll the pâte brisée out to about 1/4 inch thick; it should be just larger than the skillet. Carefully cover the apples in the skillet with the dough and push the edges down slightly. Place the skillet in the oven for 20–30 minutes. The tart is done when the dough is light brown and the caramel is dark brown (you can see this if you tip the skillet). Remove pan from oven and let cool for several minutes before loosening the edges of the pastry with a knife and gently inverting the tart onto a plate. Lift the inverted pan from the plate slowly, loosening any apple pieces that may have stuck to the pan and guiding them onto the plate. Drizzle any caramel left in the pan over the tart. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream.
Savory Fig, Portobello, and Brie Tarte Tatin
Makes one 10-inch tart
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium portobello mushroom caps, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
½ pound dried figs (about 8), sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces brie cheese, sliced
1 sheet puff pastry
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat butter over medium-high heat in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. When butter begins to bubble, add mushrooms, then onion. Stir and cook onion and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until most of their liquid is gone and mushrooms just begin to brown. Stir in sliced figs, salt, and cheese. Remove the pan from the heat and gently lay the puff pastry across the pan, trimming and folding as necessary to make it fit. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove pan from oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes before loosening edges with a knife and gently inverting the tart onto a plate. Lift the inverted pan from the plate slowly, loosening any pieces that may have stuck to the pan and guiding them onto the plate. Allow tart to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Winter Vegetable Tarte Tatin with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Makes one 10-inch tart
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
½ head cauliflower, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
4 ounces of goat cheese
1 sheet puff pastry
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat butter over medium-high heat in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. When butter begins to bubble, add onion and carrot; cook a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Add cauliflower, cook another minute or two, then add garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in sun dried tomatoes and cheese. Remove pan from heat and gently lay puff pastry across the pan, trimming and folding as necessary to make it fit. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove pan from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before loosening edges with a knife and gently inverting the tart onto a plate. Lift the inverted pan from the plate slowly, loosening any pieces that may have stuck to the pan and guiding them onto the plate. Allow tart to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Joe George writes regularly on food and cooking for Spree.
