Five-star food made simple: Apple Tarte Tartin with brandy sauce 

By Kim Woodward For Weekend

Published: 17:30 EST, 16 October 2015 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 16 October 2015

Kim Woodward, the first ever female head chef at the Savoy Grill, shows you how to enjoy fine dining without the fuss   

This classic French dessert is a winner after any dinner 

This classic French dessert is a winner after any dinner 

Serves 4 

For the tarte tatin

  • 12 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 100g (3½oz) sugar
  • 50g (1¾oz) butter
  • 400g (14oz) shop-bought puff pastry

For the sauce

  • 300g (10½oz) sugar
  • 50g (1¾oz) butter
  • 50ml (2fl oz) brandy
  • 300ml (10fl oz) double cream
  • A pinch of salt

KIM'S TIP 

I do recommend shop-bought puff pastry – it’s just as good as making your own and saves you time! 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. First peel and core the apples, round off the edges and set aside – keep dry so they will cook better. In a pan, add the sugar and allow it to caramelise over a medium heat. 

Once it has turned a lovely golden brown colour, add the butter and apples and allow them to cook until they start to colour and caramelise too. Test the apples with a knife – if it goes in easily then remove the apples from the pan and set aside in a bowl, saving any caramel. 

Spoon the caramel into the bottom of a deep 19cm (7½in) diameter sandwich or tatin tin with a fixed base and arrange the apples in a uniform pattern on top. 

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut a circle large enough to cover the apples. Place it on top of the apples and bake for 16 minutes until the pastry is nice and crisp. To make the brandy sauce, heat the sugar in a small pan until it begins to colour, then add the butter and brandy, and finally stir in the cream and a pinch of salt. 

When the tarte tatin is cooked, remove it from the oven andtip out upside down on to a serving plate. Pour the brandy sauce over the top and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

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