TART TATIN

We tried our hand at a tart tatin a few days ago. Sadly we didn't take a pic - it was a bloody beauty and came out like the photo above.

Anyway we used this recipe as a base.

3 Golden Delicious apples
1 tbs lemon juice 
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
20g unsalted butter, chopped
Ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
Cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan-forced)

2. Peel apples, cut into quarters, remove cores (cutting each quarter at the core so it has a "flat" side), and toss the quarters in a large bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

3. Using a 20cm frying pan as a guide cut pastry into a round slightly larger than the pan, prick with a fork.

4. Melt  butter in a 20cm non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Cover with the remaining sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, shaking pan occasionally to spread around any dark spots that appear, until a rich caramel forms.

5. Place apple quarters into pan, rounded side down, arranging them around pan. Cut remaining apple to fill gaps. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 10 minutes until caramel is bubbling up in the pan, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burnt spots.

6. Lay the pastry over the apples, tucking any protruding edges around edges of pan.

7. Place the pan in the oven, cook for about 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry has risen and cooked. The pastry should be dry and flaky. Stand tarte in pan for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a serving plate. Serve with cream. 

Its pretty easy  - the things we did different - we used a tablespoon of muscovado sugar and lemon juice and a damned good shake of mixed spice over granny smith apples.. They are really tart And off our tree and have never been sprayed .

We used the  40% less fat rolled pastry as well. No good reason to do that considering the apples are drowned in the caramel.

It came out really well. and the edges were just a little toffeeish.

Today we were at Kirkaldies  and they had a nice lady demonstrating some hugely expensive but divine cook ware which included a tart tatin pan in its line up. They had a tart tatin to try.. So with out being too gleeful..
Theirs was a distant also ran to the efforts of the hottest big breasted baker from Rangitumau. It was insipid compared to the glorious creation I served up to my mates.

I suggest if you are looking for a good wine  - try the Urlar Riesling. Its lemony tones will set off the tart wonderfully.

THE BOB's

We had lunch today with the BOBs. - The Bad Old Bastards club. Trader Jack , Te Thorpe and Alister Holden and some young whipper snapper called Murray B who rents stuff to an awful lot of people and organisations here there and every where. And of course the grandson of Te Thorpe   - Thorpe the 3rd.
Alister  and Trader ( Jack Cooper )  have both been well known Wellington publicans in their day.  Alister had the Cricketers Arms and Trader had the St George and the infamous 1860.

The gathering was at the Boulcott Street Bistro and what a fine occasion it was. It has been 30 years since the Trader had darkened the door and then the place was known as Plimmer House.

The food was spectacular - it was easy to to see the Rex Morgan touch - we have have long since regarded him as the master of meat and todays steak clearly showed that when it comes to offering up a good bit of boeuf - he is king in the kitchen. Trader, who has spent far too much time in the tropics  - reckoned  his pork belly was very fine indeed. Starters were also exquisite -  most had squid but we had salmon. It was all smokey without a trace of bitterness and the celeriac will have us heading to Kings seeds next season to grow  our own.

We supped on a Urlar pinot gris from Gladstone . For a start it shocked  the palates of some but soon we all fell in love with its  rich complexity. Its all we drank and drank and drank.
Desserts were sublime  - mine was a rhubarb crumble in such a teeny tiny wee pot that it hardly seemed sinful at all. Trader and Te Thorpe  dined on  some exquisite cheeses which included a roquefort that was nastier than an unpaid dirty girl. And it smelled like one as well. Al had a line up of plump profiteroles pregant with cream all set about with chocolate. Trader inhaled one and Al hoovered up the rest before Trader could get another  look in.

It was a fine day, fine food-  great wine and great stories from some great Bad old Bastards.

And lucky  old us - the boys picked up the very sizeable cheque...