Tarte Tatin

An upside-down caramelised apple tart baked under buttery puff pastry — invented by accident, perfected by France.

Tarte Tatin is the most famous accidental dish in French cuisine — created by mistake in 1888 at the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron by the Tatin sisters, Stephanie and Caroline. The story goes that Stephanie began making a traditional apple tart but left the apples cooking too long in butter and sugar. Rather than waste them she placed pastry on top of the caramelised apples and finished it in the oven, then inverted it. The result was a revelation. The hotel became famous for the tart, which spread throughout France. The Granny Smith apple's high acidity and firm flesh makes it the ideal variety — it holds its shape through the long caramelisation without becoming mush. The caramel should be taken very dark — almost burnt — for maximum flavour complexity.

The caramel must be a deep amber — not pale gold. Use Granny Smith apples. Cool for exactly 10 minutes before inverting. Serve with crème fraîche.