What Is Tarte Tatin?
From the American standpoint, a tarte tatin can be considered the equivalent of a pineapple upside down cake, but with apples rather than pineapple. It is a classic French apple dessert as equally popular in France as the apple pie is in America. The tart combines three basic flavors; apple, caramel and crumbly, buttery pie pastry. Does this Spark an idea?
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Composition
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A tarte tatin is an inside-out and upside-down apple pie. The tart, or pie, must be cooked in a pan that can be used both on top of the stove and inside the oven. A cast-iron skillet works well. Sliced apples are sautéed in butter and sugar until the sugar and syrup from the apples turns into a thick caramel syrup. The apples are left in the pan and spread out evenly. The pie "crust" placed on top of the caramel apples is known as pâte brisée, which is a traditional crumbly French pastry dough similar to short bread. Once the pâte brisée is in place, the whole pan is placed in the oven to cook until the dough is golden brown. While still warm, it is inverted onto a platter and served with cream.
Origin
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As with most cases in food history, the origins surrounding the creation of the first tarte tatin are debatable. The prominent legend concerning the origin of the tart involves the Tatin sisters. The story holds that one of the sisters, Stephanie, created the tart by mistake in the kitchen of the family's Hotel Tatin located in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, in the late 19th century.
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Apple Type
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The apples in a tarte tatin must hold their shape during cooking. They must be firm and resistant to mushing. Firm, crisp apples such as Golden Delicious are preferred over cooking apples, such as McIntosh and Granny Smith, that disintegrate when heated.
Variations
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A traditional tarte tatin is made purely with apples. However, variations can be made with other fruits, vegetabes and even meats and cheeses. A variety of fruit can be used to replace the apples, including apricots, pears, figs, bananas, mangoes, pineapples and cherries. Savory tarte tatins can be made using tomatoes, zucchini, pieces of ham or foie gras and cheese.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit apples image by Harvey Hudson from Fotolia.com
