The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- 6 GOLDEN apples
- 250 gpuff pastry dough
- 1 flour, for the work surface
- Caramel
- 50 mlwater
- 150 ggranulated sugar
- 63 gbutter
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
524 kcal
Protein
11 g
Fat
20 g
Carbohydrates
78 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, ensuring it is set to heat from both the top and bottom without the fan.
- Cut the vegetables into uniform pieces of approximately 2 cm to ensure even cooking.
- In a pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes or until they start to become lightly golden.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the milk and beat everything for 2 minutes until well integrated.
- Add the sautéed vegetables to the egg mixture, making sure they are evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture into a greased mold and bake for 25 minutes, or until set and golden on the surface.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving, so it firms up and is easier to slice.
Prepare a Caramel
- Cut the butter into cubes of about 2 cm. Reserve in a cool place to prevent it from melting.
- Place a saucepan over low heat and add the sugar and 100 ml of water. Stir slightly and let it cook without stirring until the sugar completely dissolves and the liquid acquires a golden caramel color. This may take between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat.
- Once the caramel is a golden color, immediately remove from heat and add the butter cubes. Stir constantly with a whisk until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is homogeneous.
- Quickly pour the mixture into specific caramel molds and let them cool at room temperature until the caramel solidifies completely, which may take approximately 30 minutes.
Prepare the Apples
- About 30 minutes before starting to bake, preheat the oven to 160°C to ensure even cooking.
- Carefully peel the apples and cut them into quarters, ensuring all pieces are of a similar size.
- Place the apple quarters vertically inside the molds, as tightly packed as possible. Make sure the apples slightly protrude over the edges of the mold, as they will shrink by half during baking.
- Bake the apple quarters for 90 minutes or until they are golden and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Allow the apples to cool before proceeding with the rest of the recipe or serving them.
Puff Pastry
- Lightly flour the countertop to prevent the puff pastry from sticking, and gently roll it out with a rolling pin until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Use a plate approximately 13 cm in diameter, place it upside down on the puff pastry to mark the pieces, and then cut them with a sharp knife following the marks.
- Place the pastry circles on a tray, lightly covering them with plastic wrap, and let them rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to maintain their shape during baking.
Prepare the Tatin
- Half an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 170 ºC to ensure it reaches the correct temperature when the tarts are placed inside.
- Cover the molds (with the already baked and cooled apple) with the puff pastry circles. Gently press around the edges inward to surround the fruit and fit it, ensuring that it is well positioned and will not shift during unmolding.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C for approximately 35 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and cooked through.
- Once baked, allow the pastries to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. This will allow the caramel to thicken and the pectin in the apples to gelatinize, achieving the desired texture.
Unroll
- Heat water in a saucepan until it reaches about 60-70 °C. Submerge the bottom of the molds in the hot water for 15 seconds to slightly loosen the caramel. Then, carefully run a thin knife along the edges to ensure the tarts do not stick to the mold.
- Place a plate on top of the mold and with a firm yet gentle motion, quickly flip it over to unmold, so that the apple is facing up and the tart remains intact.
When serving
- Half an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 120 ºC to ensure it is at the correct temperature when needed.
- Place the tatins in the oven for about 2 minutes to warm them slightly and reach room temperature.
- They are usually served accompanied by freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to provide a fresh and creamy contrast.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Use individual molds of 10 cm in diameter to ensure each Tarte Tatin has a perfect shape and even cooking.
- After preparing the tarts, let them rest at room temperature for at least 3 hours so that the caramel sets correctly and the flavors develop.
- Peel and quarter the 6 Golden apples, removing the cores and ensuring the pieces are uniform in size to guarantee even cooking.
- Roll out the 250 grams of puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with 1.5 tablespoons of flour to prevent sticking, and cut it into circles slightly larger than the molds.
- For the caramel, heat 150 grams of granulated sugar with 50 ml of water over medium heat, without stirring, until you achieve a golden caramel. Add 63 grams of butter, stirring until fully incorporated to obtain a silky caramel.
- Place a thin layer of caramel at the bottom of each mold before adding the apples, ensuring the caramel covers the entire base.