The Hour

The tarte became a signature dish at the hotel Tatin and the recipe spread through the Sologne region. Its lasting fame is probably due to the restaurateur Louis Vaudable, who tasted the tart on a visit to Sologne and made the dessert a permanent fixture on the menu at his restaurant Maxim's Paris.

Ingredients
• 100gms caster sugar
• Two tbsp water
• 75gms butter
• Three apples, (peeled, cored and cut into wedges)
• One sheet rolled puff pastry

Method
1. Prepare the Tatin moulds by placing some paper in the bottom of the moulds in the form of a cartouche.

2. Place the sugar and water in a pot and bring to the boil, cook out until a lightly golden caramel is reached.  Do not stir the pot, swirl it to maintain an even caramel, add the butter incorporating as you go.

3. Dispense between the moulds (roughly 6)

4. Place the wedges into the caramel, arranging in an overlapping circle.

5. Cut circles of the puff pastry slightly bigger than the moulds, tuck the pastry under the apples.

6. Eggs wash the moulds and bake in a hot oven 200c/Gas 6.  Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a couple of minutes.

8. Remove from the mould and retain the caramel. Serve with a ball of ice cream.


TARTS AND PIES

• Mushroom, pepper and blue cheese pie
• Raspberry chocolate fudge tart
• Ayrshire bacon and egg pie