flipTarte Tatin from Giverny
Tarte Tatin from Giverny
Why this dish? The recipe for the upside-down Tatin tart appears in Monet's kitchen notebooks; he collected good recipes gleaned from his hosts and friends. For a Norman apple lover and a host who regaled his guests, this caramelized dessert was a perfect lunch finale.
An upside-down tart where apples melt into an amber caramel under a golden crust, served warm and flipped at the last minute. The sweet triumph of the Norman apple, and the finest way to end a meal at the master's table in Giverny.
This one, I wrote down in my notebook the day I tasted it, I liked it so much — a tart baked upside down, the apples in the caramel and the pastry on top! You flip it at the last moment, in front of the guests, and it's always a little triumph. I want it well caramelized, almost brown, with a spoonful of thick cream melting over it. Believe me, after that, my friends gladly forgave me for chasing them away so I could return to my canvases.
- •Firm orchard apples — about ten (filling)
- •Sugar — two handfuls (caramel)
- •Farm butter — a good lump (caramel and melt)
- •Shortcrust pastry — one disk (lid)
Tarte Tatin from Giverny
An upside-down tart where apples melt into an amber caramel under a golden crust, served warm and flipped at the last minute. The sweet triumph of the Norman apple, and the finest way to end a meal at the master's table in Giverny.
Why this dish? The recipe for the upside-down Tatin tart appears in Monet's kitchen notebooks; he collected good recipes gleaned from his hosts and friends. For a Norman apple lover and a host who regaled his guests, this caramelized dessert was a perfect lunch finale.
This one, I wrote down in my notebook the day I tasted it, I liked it so much — a tart baked upside down, the apples in the caramel and the pastry on top! You flip it at the last moment, in front of the guests, and it's always a little triumph. I want it well caramelized, almost brown, with a spoonful of thick cream melting over it. Believe me, after that, my friends gladly forgave me for chasing them away so I could return to my canvases.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm orchard apples — about ten (filling)
- Sugar — two handfuls (caramel)
- Farm butter — a good lump (caramel and melt)
- Shortcrust pastry — one disk (lid)
Ingredients
- Firm apples (Reine des Reinettes, Golden) — 1.2 kg (8-9) (filling)
- Sugar — 150 g (caramel)
- Semi-salted butter — 80 g (caramel and melt)
- Shortcrust or puff pastry — 1 roll (lid)
- Thick crème fraîche — for serving (accompaniment)
Method
- Peel the apples, cut into thick wedges.
- In a high-sided ovenproof dish, make an amber caramel with the sugar, then add the butter.
- Arrange the apple wedges tightly upright in the caramel, cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes to soften.
- Cover with the pastry, tucking the edges inside, prick, then bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes until golden.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert the tart onto a plate in one swift motion (careful with hot caramel).
- Serve warm with a spoonful of crème fraîche.
How it was made : The upside-down tart of the Tatin sisters, made famous in the Sologne region at the end of the 19th century, spread through good houses by word of mouth and handwritten notebooks, exactly like Monet's. At the time, it was cooked in a copper mold placed on the corner of the wood stove, then in the oven.
The contemporary twist : A sprinkle of fleur de sel and a few drops of Calvados on the warm apples, to anchor this dessert in Monet's Normandy.
Sources : Claire Joyes & Joël Robuchon, Les Carnets de cuisine de Monet, Éditions du Chêne, 1989
Claude Monet · Charactorium
