True to the standard French culinary practice, plum tarte tatin is baked upside-down so that the fruit becomes caramelised in a sinfully delicious combination of butter and sugar. For something that looks so elegant, it’s surprisingly easy to make. Serve it as impressive finale at a dinner party.
Recipe by Sarah Dall
Plum tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 100g (½ cup) sugar
- 30g (2 tbsp) butter, softened
- Juice of ½ fresh lemon
- 7 medium plums
- 250g ready-made puff pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C and grease a 22cm round cake tin.
Place the sugar, butter and lemon juice in a pot, and simmer until it starts to caramelise. Remove from heat and pour into the cake tin.
Halve the plums and remove the pips. Place the plums flesh-side down on the caramel.
Roll out the puff pastry into a thin circle a little bigger than the tart tin. Place the pastry over the plums, crimping the edges and pressing the pastry to fit snugly around the plums. Brush with a little egg and place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Turn the tart out onto a plate and serve.