You do not have to be Escoffier to produce desserts on the satisfaction level of a genius. Apples cooked in butter and sugar, and eaten with a glass of dessert wine, as suggested by Elizabeth David in her French Provincial Cooking, are truly as close to one’s heart as any simple dessert can get. And one I would cook whenever Richard Olney. Elizabeth, and I would have lunch in London.
As a bit of a tart myself I have always had an affinity for the tatin. This dessert doesn't hide anything and its upside down manner is the epitome of wry humor. Classic and just the right amount of chic, fresh mixed with elegance, simple and complicated at the same time. Is that me? Just a good girl with enough daddy issues to make me sexy? Anywho, I was first taught tatin by one of my first real cooking instructors Dervilla O'flynn of the Ballymaloe cookery school in Ireland when I worked with her for a few months at a white tablecloth job deep in Oxfordshire, UK. She instructed me delicately in the creation of the caramel, the gentle rotation of the apples and the motherly blanket tucking of pastry. Like caramel it stuck to me for the long run and is a staple I bring out in emergencies especially when I am a guest away from home and need to pull a rabbit out of my hat. It was in one of these circumstances that I stumbled upon my own signature variation. With no puff pastry to be readily found and no time to pull one together I found a box of Greek phyllo in the freezer. Before baking I layered the caramelized apples with many buttered sheets of the paper thin pastry. A new creation. Since then I have tweaked even further towards the sacred and beloved realm of baklava by adding a bit of honey to the caramel and introducing a layer of toasted walnuts finely chopped and mixed with sugar and orange blossom water between the phyllo. It is odd and surprising and divine and a little silly all at once.
My wife and I are chefs; sometimes we watch old "The French Chef" episodes while we drink our morning Cava. This morning we watched two and one was Tarte Tatin- where she dumped it too early and it ended up a pile of apple pieces on the platter. She fixed it and we got two lessons in one... My favorite dessert. Thank you and Bon Appetit! -m.
Oh g-d, Indian Pudding, one of my favorite things, evokes so many pleasant memories, including dinners at Durgin Park with my beloved Uncle Arthur. Now I want to go and bake all of these.
Sorry about that!
Pastry recipe? Speaking of lazy...
xxxjt
Absolutely, definitely creme fraiche. No more seetness necessary, and the Chantillly melts too fast!
Many thanks, and yes, on D&P!
It's that hot caramel that makes one nervous in turning it out! Many thanks,.
Thank you, Michael, coming from you a great compliment!
As a bit of a tart myself I have always had an affinity for the tatin. This dessert doesn't hide anything and its upside down manner is the epitome of wry humor. Classic and just the right amount of chic, fresh mixed with elegance, simple and complicated at the same time. Is that me? Just a good girl with enough daddy issues to make me sexy? Anywho, I was first taught tatin by one of my first real cooking instructors Dervilla O'flynn of the Ballymaloe cookery school in Ireland when I worked with her for a few months at a white tablecloth job deep in Oxfordshire, UK. She instructed me delicately in the creation of the caramel, the gentle rotation of the apples and the motherly blanket tucking of pastry. Like caramel it stuck to me for the long run and is a staple I bring out in emergencies especially when I am a guest away from home and need to pull a rabbit out of my hat. It was in one of these circumstances that I stumbled upon my own signature variation. With no puff pastry to be readily found and no time to pull one together I found a box of Greek phyllo in the freezer. Before baking I layered the caramelized apples with many buttered sheets of the paper thin pastry. A new creation. Since then I have tweaked even further towards the sacred and beloved realm of baklava by adding a bit of honey to the caramel and introducing a layer of toasted walnuts finely chopped and mixed with sugar and orange blossom water between the phyllo. It is odd and surprising and divine and a little silly all at once.
dreamy my friend. but the recipe for the pastry?? i have always used puff. as i am a lazy bastard.... miss you pal. xxx. mb
I was hoping for stories about the other kind of tarts.
A splendid reminiscence. I don’t think that there’s a better dessert. I vote crème fraïche over Chantilly.
My wife and I are chefs; sometimes we watch old "The French Chef" episodes while we drink our morning Cava. This morning we watched two and one was Tarte Tatin- where she dumped it too early and it ended up a pile of apple pieces on the platter. She fixed it and we got two lessons in one... My favorite dessert. Thank you and Bon Appetit! -m.
Oh g-d, Indian Pudding, one of my favorite things, evokes so many pleasant memories, including dinners at Durgin Park with my beloved Uncle Arthur. Now I want to go and bake all of these.
You are truly gifted and a great writer....I am going to nominate you for the Nobel Prize for food porn....