Apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 firm apples (such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 6 tbsp butter, cut in pieces
• pinch of salt
• 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 oz), thawed
• crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel, core and quarter the apples and toss with the lemon juice.
2. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, cook the sugar and water over medium heat, swirling (not stirring), until it turns a deep amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and salt.
3. Arrange the apple quarters tightly in the caramel, rounded side down, in circles. Pack them in; they shrink.
4. Return to medium heat and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples soften and the caramel bubbles thickly. Let cool 10 minutes.
5. Roll the pastry into an 11-inch round, lay it over the apples and tuck the edges down inside the pan. Cut a few slits.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden.
7. Cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, set a large plate on top and carefully flip. Replace any apples that stick. Serve warm with crème fraîche.

TipFlip while it's still warm; once the caramel cools it glues the apples to the pan.