Apple Tarte Tartin

I saw Gordon Ramsay at the Good Food and Wine Show in Cape Town last year and he made this Tarte Tartin.  I rushed home and tried it and it was incredible.  So, thanks Gordon for the recipe.


Ingredients:

4 Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples
1 pkt of puff pastry
50g unsalted butter
50g castor sugar
5 cardamom pods, crushed

Method:

Peel and quarter the apples and set aside to dry out for about 2 hours.  The apples are going to turn brown, but don't worry about it cos they'll be fine after cooking.

In a 20cm shallow pan, press the butter into the bottom and sprinkle the sugar on top. Add the cardamom pods and then arrange the apple quarters on top.  Cut the puff pastry into a circle of about 24cm (larger than the circumference of the pan)  Place the pastry on top of the apples and tuck the edges of the pastry under the apples. Cut a small hole in the top of the pastry.

Put the pan onto the stove at high heat.  Cook on the stove top for about 10 minutes until the sugar has caramelized. Place in a reheated 200C oven and bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is very crispy. Allow to cool and turn over onto a serving plate.  ( be careful, it can be quite tricky) Remove the cardamom pods and serve with ice cream.