Oceania Cruises Cooking Challenge: Tarte Tatin Recipe

I do a lot of home cooking between my teaching at The Culinary Center on board Riviera and Marina. It brings me back to the places we visit when I use food products brought home as souvenirs: olive oils, seasonings, dried beans, conserves, and flaked sea salts. As soon as I pull a bottle, jar, or bag from the pantry I think about a fine day at a public market or shop in one of the ports of call where it was purchased. It’s usually around this time of year my pantry starts to get lean and I look forward to getting back to the Mediterranean.

During the shelter-in-place order where I live, I’ve been making some of the dishes we teach in The Culinary Center. Since how we cook in the kitchen on board the ships differs a little from the recipes we give out at the end of each class, it has been rewarding to make them at home.

I love The Culinary Center version of the classic French dessert Tarte Tatin. It’s super easy and reminds me of the two Fast Food My Way cooking television series I worked on when I was the culinary producer for Chef Jacques Pépin. This recipe fits beautifully into the main objective of the shows: Simple techniques and preparations in minimal time.

I’m calling for Granny Smith apples in the recipe but when you make this in autumn, use the best baking apple available where you are. Regardless, for the apples and the lemon, the results will be better when using organic fruit.

This Tarte Tatin recipe should be a go-to dessert in your repertoire and it’s best when served the day it’s made. Since the ingredients are easy to find and the preparation only takes about fifteen or twenty minutes before baking, it can be the first thing to make going into the preparation of a meal.

Don’t forget to share photos of your results on our Facebook page’s recipe post by using the hashtag #OLifeCookingChallenge and stay tuned for more easy Jacques Pépin recipes and our favorite Oceania Cruises recipes!

Tarte Tatin Recipe
Serves 6-8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 Granny Smith Apples (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 9-inch by 9-inch piece of puff pastry
Crème fraiche, sour cream, Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Melt the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over very low heat. In a medium bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir the butter into the sugar mixture. Core and peel the apples; then cut each into six equal wedges. Place the apples in the bowl and gently toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. The sugar mixture may clump a little, which is fine since it will melt during the baking.

Arrange the apple wedges in a single layer across the bottom of the skillet with the rounded sides facing down. Use a rubber spatula to get any residual sugar mixture from the bowl and scatter it on the apples. Cover the apples with the puff pastry. Tuck the corners of the pastry into the side of the pan so the apples are completely enclosed. Poke the pastry with a fork or tip of a paring knife. Bake 30-35 minutes until the pastry rises and it is light brown on top.

Let cool 10-15 minutes then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of crème fraiche on the side.

About Chef Instructor David Shalleck
Author of the acclaimed culinary travel memoir Mediterranean Summer, the multi-lingual Chef Shalleck is The Culinary Center’s resident expert on Mediterranean cuisine, having lived and traveled extensively in the Mediterranean region doing restaurant internships and as the private chef to a titled Italian family on board their sailing yacht. Following his work at sea, David has been the culinary producer for numerous cooking television series with Chef Jacques Pépin and Chef José Andrés’ Made in Spain. He has also competed on Chef Cat Cora’s team in the Food Network’s Iron Chef America series. Chef Shalleck’s classes are infused with his expertise and inspiration, both deeply rooted in the Mediterranean.

RELATED CONTENT:
Jacques Pépin’s Braised Pears
The Holy Grail of French Ingredients: C’est Divine
Iconic Dishes in Bordeaux