Gordon Ramsay’s apple tarte tatin is sticky, caramelised and flipped upside down onto a plate, made with Cox’s apples, a dark sugar caramel, butter and all-butter puff pastry. Ramsay calls it “the simplest and the most delicious dessert in Britain today.” Serves 4, ready in about 40 minutes.
The full recipe appears in Bread Street Kitchen with one technique nobody else teaches: drying the apple quarters overnight in the fridge. Ramsay writes: “The apples will go brown, which is correct. This draws out the moisture and concentrates the flavour.” On The F Word he demonstrates a quicker version using Braeburn apples because “they don’t hold lots of juice so it doesn’t make the tart soggy.”
The caramel is made separately in a saucepan, not in the baking pan. Sugar and water heated without stirring until dark, 12-15 minutes. Then the apples go in and cook for a few minutes before transferring to the ovenproof pan. Making it separately gives you control over the colour.
Gordon Ramsay Apple Tarte Tatin
Course: DessertCuisine: French, BritishDifficulty: Intermediate4
servings15
minutes25
minutes420
kcal40
minutesFrom Bread Street Kitchen: Cox’s apples dried overnight for concentrated flavour, cooked in a dark caramel with butter, topped with puff pastry and baked at 200C. The overnight drying step is what separates this from every other recipe.
Ingredients
5 Cox’s Orange Pippin apples, peeled, quartered and cored
200g (7 oz) caster sugar
50ml water
50g (2 oz) unsalted butter
350g (12 oz) ready-made all-butter puff pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
Vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, to serve
Directions
- Dry the apples: Place the apple quarters in a single layer on kitchen paper on a baking tray. Leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. They will go brown, which is correct.
- Preheat: Set the oven to 200C (400F/Gas 6).
- Make the caramel: Put the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase to medium heat and cook without stirring until the mixture caramelises to a rich, dark colour, 12-15 minutes.
- Cook the apples: Remove from heat and let the bubbles settle. Place the apple quarters into the hot caramel, stir gently and return to heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, stir to combine and cook 4-5 minutes more. The apples should be almost cooked but still hold their shape.
- Arrange: Transfer the caramelised apples to a 23cm ovenproof frying pan, arranging them in circles cut side down.
- Top with pastry: Roll the puff pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut a circle slightly larger than the pan. Drape over the apples and tuck in around the inside edges. Prick the pastry a few times with a fork. Pour leftover caramel around the edges until visible just below the pastry.
- Bake: Cook for about 20 minutes until the pastry is risen, crisp and golden.
- Flip and serve: Leave to stand 5 minutes. Loosen the sides, place a rimmed plate on top and carefully flip. Drizzle with any leftover caramel. Serve with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
FAQs
Why dry the apples overnight?
This is the BSK technique no other recipe has. Ramsay says: “This draws out the moisture and concentrates the flavour.”
Wet apples release steam in the oven, making the pastry soggy and the caramel watery. Dried apples hold their shape and caramelise cleanly. They go brown overnight, which is fine.
Which apples work best?
BSK says Cox’s Orange Pippins: “naturally sweet with a light acidity that works really well with the caramel.” On The F Word, Ramsay uses Braeburns because “they don’t hold lots of juice.”
Both are firm dessert apples. Avoid Bramleys or other cooking apples. They collapse into mush under the caramel.
Why prick the pastry?
On The F Word, Ramsay pricks the puff pastry saying it “stops the pastry from bubbling up.” Without holes, trapped air pushes the pastry away from the apples.
Two or three cuts with a fork is enough. Don’t overdo it or caramel bubbles through.
Can you make individual tarts?
BSK includes the tip: “Use four individual 12cm ovenproof frying pans. Using 500g puff pastry, cut out four smaller circles. Bake for 15-20 minutes.”
Individual tarts cook faster and are easier to flip. They also plate better for a dinner party.
How is this different from the pear version?
The pear tarte tatin from MasterChef uses shortcrust pastry, star anise, cinnamon and vanilla, and finishes with a cognac flambé.
This apple version is simpler. No spices, puff pastry not shortcrust, and the overnight drying technique replaces the spiced caramel. Different fruit, different pastry, different approach. The banana tarte tatin from Ultimate Home Cooking takes it further with black pepper and pink peppercorns.
