Tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple tart that is considered a speciality in France. It is made by covering the bottom of a shallow baking dish with butter and sugar, then apples and finally a pastry crust.

There is one rule for eating Tarte Tatin, which is scrupulously observed. It must be served warm, so that the cream melts on contact. To the French, Tarte Tatin at room temperature isn’t worth the pan it was baked in. The French call this dessert ‘tarte des demoiselles Tatin’ or “the tart of two unmarried women named Tatin”. It is believed that in the 19th century, two French sisters, Carolina and Stephine Tatin living in the small town of Lamotte-Beuvron, created the tart.

This dessert became extremely popular in Paris when the famous Maxim’s restaurant put it on their menu. According to some historians, when word of this new gastronomic delight reached Paris, Maxim’s owner decided that he must have the recipe. It’s believed that he sent a cook, disguised as a gardener, to Lamotte-Beuvron to discover the secret. The cook managed to bring the recipe back to Paris and it has been on Maxim’s menu ever since.

Tarte tatin

Ingredients: 1 kg apples ? peeled, cored and sliced; 250gm butter; 2tbs sugar

For the pie: 450gm flour; 250gm butter; 1 egg; 100ml water; 1 tsp salt

Method: To prepare the pastry, place the flour on a work surface and make a well in the centre. Rub in the 9oz of butter with your fingers; blend in the water, beaten egg and salt. Form into a ball and set aside to rest.

In a pan, cook the butter and sugar until caramelised and light-brown. Arrange apple wedges in circles in the pan. Roll out the pastry to a 3mm (1/8inch) thickness and to a diameter slightly larger than the saut? pan. Cover the apples with the pastry. Bake for 25 minutes in a hot oven (200?C). Gently lift the edge of the crust with the point of a knife to check the blond caramelised apples. When the tart is nicely browned, arrange a serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip over. Serve warm with some cream.