Apple Tarte Tatin

Method

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Toss with lemon juice.

   💡 Tip

   The lemon juice prevents the apples from browning. Choose firm apples that hold up to cooking: Golden for sweetness, Granny Smith for tartness.
2. 2
   In an ovenproof pan (about 24 cm), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and let it caramelise until you get a deep golden caramel.

   💡 Tip

   Don't take your eyes off the caramel: it goes from golden to burnt in seconds. As soon as it turns a beautiful amber colour and smells nutty, move on immediately.
3. 3
   Arrange the apple quarters in the caramel in a tight rosette pattern. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes until the apples start to soften slightly.

   💡 Tip

   Pack the apples in tightly: they shrink during cooking. If they look too crammed right now, that's exactly right.
4. 4
   Unroll the pastry and prick it with a fork. Place it over the apples, tucking the edges down inside the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden.

   💡 Tip

   Tuck the pastry edges in properly so they hold the apples and don't shrink back during baking.
5. 5
   Leave to cool for a few minutes out of the oven. Place a large plate over the pan and flip quickly in one confident move. Serve warm.

   💡 Tip

   This is the critical moment. Do it in one confident move without hesitating, the plate must be wider than the pan. If an apple sticks, put it back in place by hand. Nobody will know.