Classic Tarte Tatin with Calvados Crème Fraîche

⏱ 90 min · Serves 8

Deeply caramelised apples under a burnished puff pastry lid, flipped out golden and glossy — the great upside-down tart of the Sologne. A spoonful of loose, Calvados-spiked crème fraîche cuts the toffee sweetness and makes it taste properly French.

Per serving: 552 kcal · 4.5g protein · 62.0g carbs · 31.0g fat

Ingredients

• 6-7 firm apples (about 1.4kg), such as Braeburn, Cox or Golden Delicious
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 vanilla pod, split (optional)
• 375g all-butter puff pastry
• 1 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
• 300ml crème fraîche (full fat)
• 3 tbsp Calvados
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Peel, halve and core the apples. Toss with the lemon juice and leave uncovered for 20-30 minutes while you prepare everything else — this dries them slightly and helps them hold shape.
2. Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 4mm thick and cut a disc 2cm wider than your 24cm ovenproof frying pan or tatin dish. Prick all over with a fork, slide onto a plate and chill.
3. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
4. Scatter the sugar evenly over the base of the cold pan and set over a medium heat. Let it melt undisturbed, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir), until it turns a deep amber caramel — 6-9 minutes.
5. Take off the heat and immediately whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time, then the salt and the scraped vanilla seeds. It will bubble furiously; keep going until glossy and smooth.
6. Pack the apple halves into the pan cut-side up, standing them on their sides and leaning them tightly in concentric circles — squeeze in more than feels sensible, as they shrink a lot.
7. Return to a medium heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, basting the apples with caramel now and then, until the fruit is tender at the edges and the caramel is thick and dark. Turn off the heat and let it settle for 5 minutes.
8. Lay the chilled pastry disc over the apples, tucking the edges down inside the pan with the back of a spoon. Cut two small steam vents in the centre.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is puffed, deep golden and crisp. Rest in the pan for exactly 10 minutes — no longer, or the caramel sets.
10. Meanwhile, whisk the crème fraîche with the Calvados, icing sugar and vanilla until just thickened but still spoonable. Chill until needed.
11. Run a knife around the edge, place a large rimmed serving plate over the pan and, wearing oven gloves, invert confidently in one movement. Rearrange any stray apples and spoon over caramel left in the pan.
12. Serve warm in generous wedges with a spoonful of the Calvados crème fraîche.