TART TATIN WITH APPLE AND PECANS – WITH A BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

TARTE TATIN WITH APPLE AND PECANS – WITH A BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

(Serves 6)

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

100 g   butter

200 g   soft brown sugar

150 ml cream

5 ml     vanilla

APPLES

6          Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, cut into quarters (or smaller)

125 g   butter

200 g   castor sugar

5 ml     ground cinnamon

100 g   lightly toasted, chopped pecan nuts

1          sheet puff pastry

METHOD:

• Mix together the ingredients for the butterscotch sauce in a small saucepan on medium heat, stir to melt the sugar and cook until it is thick and a syrup (110°C) Optional to stir in 5 ml Maldon salt.  (TIP – do not allow mixture to boil before all the sugar has dissolved.)
• Preheat your oven to 200°C
• Melt the 125 g butter and castor sugar together and cook until caramelised in the pan you are going to use to make your tart tatin. It must be ovenproof (TIP – use a non-stick pan and do not stir the mixture – just swirl the pan)
• Remove from the heat and place the apples neatly in the caramel. Scatter with half of the pecan nuts. Cool
• Roll out the puff pastry on a floured worktop and cut a circle a bit bigger than the pan (about 4cm larger in diameter)
• Cover with the puff pastry and tuck in the pastry so that the fruit is contained. Cut a slit in the centre of the pastry to let out steam.
• Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, then place a serving dish on top of the pan and carefully turn upside down (work quickly and be very careful!). Remove the pan. If any fruit has moved out of place, now is the time to carefully put them back in place if necessary.

• Return the pan to the heat, and quickly toss the pecan nuts in the remaining caramel sauce for a few seconds. Add the pecans to the tart. Cool and serve with crème fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream and the butterscotch sauce.