Íñigo Isao, chef: “The easiest apple tart doesn't use cream, but rather chopped fruit with 45g of butter and sugar.”
Diners: 8
- Flour, 250 g
- Cold butter, 175 g
- Sal, 4 g
- Cold water, 65 g
- Sugar, 200 g
- Vinegar, 15 g
- Water, 25 g
- Cold butter, 45 g
- Reineta or Granny Smith apples
- 6 out
- 1
- approximately 2 kg
- Step 1: Mix the flour with the very cold butter until you get a sandy texture. Add the salt and cold water and form the dough without overworking it. There's no need to knead it, just bring the ingredients together until you form a ball.
- Step 2 We keep the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes, until it can be stretched, we stretch it into a circle about 28 cm in diameter, slightly larger than the pan, and we put it in the freezer for 20-25 minutes.
- Step 3 Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Step 4 Peel the apples, cut them into three pieces removing the core and submerge them in hot tap water.
- Step 5 Put the sugar, vinegar and water in a 24cm ovenproof pan and leave it over medium heat, without stirring, until the caramel starts to brown.
- Step 6 Move the pan in circles until the caramel is thick, uniform, and a golden amber color.
- Step 7 Add the cold butter and stir until emulsified.
- Step 8 Drain the apples and place them on the caramel, tightly packed and with the prettiest side down.
- Step 9 Cover with the dough, tuck the edges inwards and prick the surface with a fork.
- Step 10 Bake at 200ºC for 25-30 minutes, until the dough is golden brown.
- Step 11 Let the cake rest for 30 minutes, place a dish on top and turn it over to unmold it while still hot.
There's a special satisfaction in taking a cake out of the oven that looks like it came from a pastry shop, knowing that you made it yourself from start to finish.
It's even more noticeable when you're invited to dinner and you arrive with the dessert prepared in your kitchen, because it's a thoughtful gesture towards the hosts and, at the same time, a source of personal pride.
Apple Tatin tart is a great option for those occasions. It's elegant, appeals to almost everyone, and the technique is accessible to anyone simply by following the tips we'll give you in today's recipe.
A proposal that chef Íñigo Isao Sakai shared on his Instagram profile, @inigoisaosakai, where he has 240,000 followers. Íñigo is a Basque-Japanese chef who, as he explains on his website, trained alongside chefs such as Martín Berasategui, Rasmus Munk, and Rubén Trincado.
"For me, it's the best technique there is for eating apples," explains the chef, describing the recipe as "quite elegant and easy to make," especially if you use store-bought shortcrust pastry.
Mistakes to avoid
When preparing a recipe, especially in baking, knowing the steps to take is just as important as knowing the mistakes to avoid.
Sometimes, there are small details that cause the recipe to head straight for failure before you even start cooking.
In the case of an apple Tatin tart, the first mistake would be not choosing the right fruit, as very juicy or soft varieties release too much water and the tart becomes watery.
That's why the chef recommends using firm and acidic apples, such as the Reineta or the Granny Smith.
The second mistake has to do with the temperature of the dough, because if it is not very cold and firm when you put it in the oven, the juice from the apple softens it underneath and it loses its crispness.
The chef's advice is to roll out the dough and leave it in the freezer for 20 to 25 minutes before baking. He also recommends handling it as little as possible when shaping it.
Another common mistake involves the amount of fruit. Keep in mind that it will lose volume when cooked, and it's important that there are no gaps between the apple pieces. Therefore, even if it seems like a lot of fruit at first, don't be tempted to use less; instead, pack the pieces as tightly as possible.
The chef points out that the last mistake is that the cake shouldn't be left to cool in the pan, as the caramel will solidify and the cake will stick to the bottom. So, it must be unmolded while still warm, but it's as easy as placing a plate on top and turning the pan upside down, like flipping an omelet.
