tart cooking applespeeled, cored, and sliced thick4-5
lemon juicejuice of 1 large lemon1
sugarreserve 1 tbsp for the flambé3-4 tbsp
buttera generous knob of high-quality French butter~4 tbspest.
Calvados brandyapprox. 4 tbsp, used for the flambé50 ml
shortcrust pastryone portion, handmade or high-quality store-bought1
Normandy crème fraîche or vanilla ice creamfor serving~1 cupest.
Steps
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1
Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl. Core, peel, and slice the apples into thick pieces, then toss them in the lemon juice to prevent browning.
2
Sprinkle the sugar over the apples and gently toss to coat (reserving about 1 tbsp for the flambé later), being careful not to mash the fruit.
3
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, drain off excess lemon juice from the apples, then sauté them for about 8 minutes until the sugar and juices reduce and the apples become glazed with slightly caramelized edges. Turn off the heat and let them cool.
4
On a lightly floured surface, roll the shortcrust pastry into a rustic circle about 30cm (11-12 inches) in diameter — it doesn't need to be perfectly round.
5
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet. If it's hard to adjust, pop it in the freezer briefly to firm up, then reposition it. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
6
Once the apples have cooled to room temperature, mound them in the center of the dough, leaving about a 3.5cm (1.5-inch) border. Trim any uneven edges with a knife.
7
Fold the edges of the dough up and over the apples to create a rustic, free-form casing — no tart pan or dish is needed.
8
Place the tart in the preheated oven and bake for the first 15-20 minutes.
9
Halfway through baking, gently warm the Calvados in a small pan until it starts to steam (don't boil it), then ignite it and pour the flaming brandy over the tart. Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until done.
10
Let the tart cool and set fully after baking. For extra flair and flavor, you can warm and ignite a small extra splash of Calvados and pour it over the apples for a mini second flambé.
11
Slice and serve, ideally with Normandy crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream on the side.
PrimedTableBETA
