Five-Ingredient Tarte Tatin

Just because a recipe has five ingredients doesn't mean it's easy or quick to make. This tarte takes practice and a lot of courage at the last step when you turn a hot skillet upside-down and hope the tarte ends up on a plate.

It's best to cut the apples 1 - 3 days before making the tarte to dry them out. Otherwise, you may end up with too much juice in the tarte. Put the cut apples in a lightly covered bowl in the refrigerator. If you don't have time to let the apples dry out, put a piece of foil under the skillet when it goes in the oven to catch any drips.

  • 6 - 8 large apples, peeled, cored, and quartered (A mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples works well.)
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) softened unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (defrosted according to package instructions)
  • Equipment: a seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet
  1. Slice the bottom off each apple to give it a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples lengthwise and remove the cores. See the note above the ingredients about storing the apples in the refrigerator for at least one day before cooking.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees when ready to cook.
  3. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of the seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet and sprinkle the sugar evenly on the bottom.
  4. Arrange the apples vertically in the skillet, standing them on the flat end, in concentric circles. Pack the pieces close together so they support one another. Apples that stick up higher than the pan rim will shrink down as they're cooked.
  5. Prepare the pastry while apples are cooking: roll out defrosted puff pastry on a floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick.
Cooking: There are 3 stages to making this tarte Tatin
  1. One: Cook the apples over medium high heat, 15 - 25 minutes until the juice is bubbling and a deep golden or light brown color.
  2. Two: Put the skillet in the oven and bake the apples for 20 minutes at 400 degrees (F).
Final Touches
  1. Move the skillet to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
  5. Cut the tarte in wedges and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, or just eat it plain.
  1. If you decide to use foil beneath the skillet in the oven, DO NOT place the foil directly on the floor of the oven. Certain models can overheat and the foil can melt into the ceramic, creating a fire hazard. Instead, place the foil on the wire rack directly below the skillet. 

Serves 8