French food Friday - Tarte Tatin

This recipe is taken from Raymond Blanc’s book Foolproof  French Cookery, which as you know is a favourite of mine. Note  I do not have a tatin dish  so I used a rectangle shaped le creuset dish.


Ingredients
• 1.6kg (about 9) Braeburn apples peeled, cored and quartered
• 150g caster sugar
• 80g unsalted butter, diced
• 40g unsalted butter, melted
• 400g all-butter puff pastry, rolled 31cm round, 3mm thick, lightly pricked with a fork.

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
2. In a Tatin dish, cook the sugar and diced butter to a brown caramel.
3. Arrange the apple quarters tightly, around the edges first, with the core facing up and towards the centre, then fill in the middle part of the mould the same way, press with your hands gently to ensure there are no gaps, and brush with melted butter.
4. Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and place the disc of puff pastry on top, tuck in the edges and prick a few holes in the top with a knife to allow some of the steam out.
6. Cook in the oven for a further 40–45 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and crisp.
7. Allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour before removing from the mould.
Et voilá you have tarte tatin! Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.