Michelin-starred chefs, Chris and Jeff Galvin are famed for their mouth-watering Tarte Tatin having long since championed this traditional French dessert, passionately perfecting the recipe and serving the most stunningly fantastic Tarte Tatin daily at Galvin La Chapelle in Spitalfields.
Galvin Tarte Tatin with Crème Normande
Chris Galvin says the secret to the perfect Tarte Tatin is crisp pastry and care over your apples – a real love of the dish always makes a difference too! “We always make this dish in celebration of our nan,” says Chris, “who was a terrific cook and always made pies with the apples she grew in her garden. Our Tatin has a great depth, a lovely crispy base and slowly cooked apples - I never tire of it. We couldn’t possibly change the recipe – it would cause anarchy in the restaurants.”
Ingredients
For the tarte tatin
- 7 Braeburn apples peeled, halved and cored
- 120 g puff pastry
- 110 g salted butter softened
- 130 g caster sugar
For the crème Normande
- 120 ml crème fraiche
- 40 g icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Calvados
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the base of your tart. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 21cm round. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over then leave in the fridge to rest for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.
- In a 20cm ovenproof frying pan - or Tarte Tatin mould, if you have one - spread the softened butter in an even layer, followed by the caster sugar. Arrange the apple pieces over the sugar, standing on their sides, with two halves lying flat in the centre of the dish.
- Remove the pastry round from the fridge and lay it carefully over the arranged apple halves, tucking any overhanging pastry edges down the sides of the pan. Place the pan on the hob and caramelise the sugar over a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, before transferring to the preheated oven. Bake for 90 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the crème Normande. Combine the crème fraîche, icing sugar and Calvados together in a bowl and mix well. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
- Remove the Tarte Tatin from the oven and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes, before turning out onto a chopping board. Cut into 4 portions and serve with a generous spoonful of the crème Normande.