Apple Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin was an upside-down apple pie first baked by two sisters in the Loire Valley region of France. It was just caramelized apples and pastry, but that’s where the secrets lie. The apples need to be tart and local and fresh, the best you can find. Peel them. And the pastry should be homemade, but in a pinch, of course, you can use store-bought. I love baking this pie in the iron skillet because the juices caramelize, which creates flavor! If the apples stick to the skillet when you try to invert this pie, simply scrape them off the skillet and patch them into place. And, make sure you have good vanilla ice cream to serve alongside!

APPLE TARTE TATIN RECIPE:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
2 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and each quarter cut into 3 slices
2 rounds pie pastry or one recipe Homemade Pie crust
Vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add both the sugars and cinnamon, if using, and stir to combine. Spread out the sugar mixture, and arrange the apple sices in concentric circles in the bottom of the pan. Cook, undisturbed, so the apples develop a golden brown color underneath but do not stick, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Roll out the pie pastry to make one 12-inch circle that is 1/3-inch thick. Place the circle of dough on top of the apples, tucking the edges under so the pastry fits in the skillet.

4. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the pastry is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven. Place a large, flat platter on top of the skillet. Invert the hot skillet onto the platter and carefully hit the skillet with your hand (in an oven mitt!) to release any apples that might stick. Let tart fall onto a platter and replace any stuck apples. Serve warm with ice cream.