The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- 5 apples
- 50 gbutter
- 100 gwhite sugar
- 75 mlwater
- cinnamon
- powdered sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 500 mlwhole milk
- 90 gsugar
- 20 gall-purpose flour (or pastry flour)
- 20 gCornstarch
- 1 lemon (the peel)
- 1 cinnamon (or vanilla)
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
652 kcal
Protein
20 g
Fat
23 g
Carbohydrates
103 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. This will ensure the oven reaches the correct temperature before you start cooking.
- Cut the vegetables into medium-sized pieces to ensure even cooking. We recommend pieces approximately 3 cm.
- Arrange the vegetables on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not piled up, to facilitate even cooking.
- Drizzle the vegetables with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Place the tray in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork and slightly golden.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the vegetables rest for about 5 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to mix better.
Prepare a Pastry Cream
- Dissolve the starch and sifted flour in about 100 ml of cold milk and set the mixture aside until it's time to add it to the main preparation.
- Heat the remaining milk (approximately 400 ml), along with the lemon peel and a cinnamon stick, in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to boil. When it starts to boil, remove from heat and let it rest for a few moments. Repeat this process twice more to allow the flavors to infuse well. After the third time, remove from heat and set aside.
- Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites, reserving only the yolks for this recipe.
- In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until you obtain a homogeneous and pale mixture, primarily using a manual or electric whisk.
- Incorporate the cold milk mixture with the starch and the sifted flour into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar. Stir well until you obtain a smooth batter without lumps.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel from the hot milk. Gradually pour the infused milk into the bowl with the yolks while constantly stirring to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Strain the resulting mixture through a fine sieve and transfer it to a clean saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, until the cream thickens and reaches the desired consistency. It must be kept below 82°C to prevent boiling.
- Once the cream has reached the appropriate consistency, remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature in a rigid container.
- Once cooled, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Store it in the refrigerator until the next day to allow it to set properly.
Cake
- Peel the apples and slice them into very thin rounds. Remove the harder central part with a knife or a corer.
- In a saucepan, place the apple slices with 100 g of sugar, 50 g of butter, and 100 ml of water. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes until the apples are caramelized. Do not stir too much to prevent the apples from breaking.
- In the same dish where we will present the cake, alternate layers of caramelized apple and layers of pastry cream. Note: Reserve the most beautiful apple slices for the top layer for a perfect presentation.
- Cover with one final layer of caramelized apples. Dust with powdered sugar on top for a sweet and decorative touch.
- Broil in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar melts and forms a light crust.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Note: This tatin does not require any pastry dough. Instead of the classic shortcrust pastry base, it focuses on layers of caramelized apple.
- Note: The pastry cream should be prepared the day before to allow it to cool completely before assembling the tatin and to achieve a firmer texture.
- Ensure you slice the apples into thin sheets about 2-3 mm thick to guarantee even cooking and a smooth texture.
- To caramelize the apples, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and add the sugar and water. Cook until you have a golden caramel.
- For the pastry cream, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they lighten, then slowly incorporate the hot milk while stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Heat the pastry cream mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and reaches the desired point, then let it cool in a container covered with cling film touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.