Tarte Tatin aux Pommes — Classic French Upside-Down Apple Tart

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C. In a 26 cm oven-proof frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel forms, 8–10 minutes. Swirl the pan gently if needed.
2. Remove from heat and add a pinch of flaky salt and the vanilla extract. Working quickly and carefully (the caramel is very hot), arrange the apple quarters tightly, standing on their cut edges, in concentric circles directly in the caramel. Pack them closely — they will shrink significantly.
3. Return the pan to medium heat and cook the apples in the caramel for 15 minutes, pressing down lightly with a spatula. The apples should begin to soften and the caramel should bubble up around them.
4. Roll the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pan. Drape it over the apples, tucking the edges down around the fruit inside the pan.
5. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and cooked through.
6. Leave the tart to cool in the pan for 10 minutes — no longer, or the caramel will set solid.
7. Place a large serving plate over the pan. In one confident motion, invert. Rearrange any shifted apple pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous spoonful of crème fraîche.

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