Shortcrust Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Salted Caramel and Chantilly

Method

1. Pastry: mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and add the cold butter cut into 1 cm cubes. Rub it in with your fingertips until the pieces of butter are the size of peas, then add the iced water a little at a time and press together just until it holds. Shape into a flat disc, wrap and chill for 30 min. Don't knead it; overworked pastry turns tough.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 100 gUnsalted butter for the pastry, very cold 60 gSalt (for the pastry) 1 pinchSugar (for the pastry) 1 tspIced water 1½ tbsp

2. Peel and halve the apples and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon. Toss them with the lemon juice, then leave them uncovered while the pastry rests so the surface dries a little; drier apples don't water down the caramel.

   Add in this stepFirm apples (e.g. Cox, Braeburn, Fuji) 3Lemon (juice) ½

3. Spread the sugar in a 18 cm ovenproof pan and melt it over medium heat for 6 min into a deep amber caramel, swirling rather than stirring. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and flaky salt until smooth. It foams up hard, so keep your face back.

   Add in this stepCaster sugar (for the caramel) 85 gUnsalted butter (for the caramel) 40 gVanilla extract ½ tspFlaky sea salt 1 pinch

   medium heat

4. Stand the apple halves on their sides, rounded side facing out, packing them tightly in a ring from the edge inwards, with one in the middle. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 min, spooning the caramel over the apples all the time. As they shrink, wedge the extra apple into the gaps. When the apples are amber where they touch the pan, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190°C.

   medium-low heat

5. Roll the pastry 3 mm thick, cut out a 20 cm circle and prick it with a fork. Lay it over the apples, tuck the edges inside the pan and cut a steam hole. Bake in the oven for 35 min, until the pastry is deep golden and caramel is bubbling up at the edges.

   oven

6. Cool for 20 min: long enough for the caramel to soak into the apples and settle, but still warm enough to flow. Wearing oven gloves, cover with a large plate and flip in one go. Scrape any caramel left in the pan over the apples to make them shine.

7. Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar for 2 min into a soft, just-flowing Chantilly. Serve a spoonful with each slice of warm tart.

   Add in this stepDouble or whipping cream (35% fat or more) 100 mlIcing sugar 2 tsp