Tristan Rebbettes apple tarte tatin

Method

1. Pre-heat a fan-forced oven to 200°C. 

2. To make the tarte, peel the apples and cut into 2 cheeks, removing the core. Keep to one side. 

3. In a saucepan that will fit all the apples comfortably, make a caramel by adding the sugar and 50ml of water. On a low heat, let the sugar dissolve into the water. Once dissolved, turn the heat up to medium to take the sugar to an amber-to-dark caramel. 

4. When it reaches this stage turn the heat back to low and very carefully add the butter and salt to the caramel. Carefully whisk everything well together. 

5. Add the apple cheeks and the seeds from the vanilla pod and cook the apples in the caramel, stirring gently every now and then. You’re looking to cook the apples until tender – about 10 minutes – but this can change depending on the apples used. 

6. Grease a round, ovenproof pan (24cm diameter) with butter –  you can use a round cast iron dish, metal frying pan, or a solid-based cake tin. 

7. To assemble, arrange the apple cheeks very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press down to ensure no gaps. Spoon over the caramel to fill the base of the pan. 

8. Cover the top with puff pastry, tucking the edges down the side. With a knife, prick a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Place into the oven for about 15–20 minutes, or until puff pastry is crisp and flaky. 

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15–30 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate deep enough to hold the caramel and juices that run off. 

10. Serve with a good scoop of quality vanilla ice cream.