Ode to the classics

So many variations of Tarte Tatin have now been made that you have to try really hard to find the original. Every great chef has their own version, every culinary bible offers at least one recipe, and on social media, every culinary influencer will show you how to do it in 30 seconds. Still, is there an authentic recipe? Or is it a variant of the original that has become the standard?

Jeroen van Oijen, former Debic Creative Chef and founder of Gastronomixs, has made it his life's work to trace the origins of original recipes. He is the Chef on a Mission, travelling the world in search of authentic recipes and preparation methods. All his discoveries are published in his Master the Originals book series, which of course includes the recipes too. Part two of the series includes a look at the famous Tarte Tatin. To find it, he travelled to Paris with SVH Master Ice Cream Maker and Master Pastry Chef Hidde de Brabander. Their culinary trip yielded some surprising results. 

Why Paris? Surely there is no dispute over the place where the Tarte Tatin originated? French sisters Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin ran the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, a tiny village in central France, in the late nineteenth century. The sisters developed the upside-down apple pie more or less by accident. However, the dessert as we now know it was made famous by Maxim's in Paris. They replaced the original shortcrust pastry with puff pastry, which has now become the norm.

Jeroen and Hidde went there for lunch and found a restaurant that is worth a visit for its Art Nouveau interior alone. They ended up on a journey back in time, because at Maxim's, all the well-known French classics are on the menu in more or less adapted forms. Whatever you think of the style: this is one place where they know how it's done. So it should come as no surprise that their Tarte Tatin really is exceptionally good. The apple is completely saturated with butter and caramel, has a slight bite and is served on a spiral of filo pastry coated with salty butter. Wait a minute ... filo pastry?! That was quite a surprise. It is a very subtle change from the original that they more or less created themselves, while respecting the original flavours and textures. The quenelle of pure sour cream is a classic feature, but it provides the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the Tarte Tatin. 

Of course a good researcher is never satisfied with the initial results. So the chef and pastry chef went off in search of other versions. They scoured all the famous establishments such as Strohrer, Laduree, Fauchon and some other big names, in search of the ultimate classic. Their conclusion: in the end it is above all a restaurant dessert. Rue de Montergeuil, Paris' most famous culinary street, is home to a classic French pastry chef who specialises in Tarte Tatin. Unlike many others, he was happy to share all his knowledge. He does not use shortcrust pastry either, but prefers puff pastry. He lets the apples caramelise and marinate overnight first. Then they are covered with pastry and baked. 

There are countless variations on the Tarte Tatin. However, it turns out that the essence, the pillars on which the dish rests, are almost always the same. Even with the different pastry version at Maxim's, the original is still recognisable. So however you want to make it: stick to the main features. Only then will you reproduce the experience that makes a Tarte Tatin such an insanely delicious dessert.

Hidde de Brabander developed his own version of the Tarte Tatin based on what he saw and tasted in Paris. This dessert perfectly brings together his specialties as Master Pastry Chef and also as SVH Master Ice Cream Maker. Hidde prepares the apples slightly differently. First he makes a dry caramel, which he pours into the baking mould. The sliced apples and butter go on top of the caramel and are then baked in the oven for 45 minutes without the pastry. He then lets the whole thing cool and marinate. He replaced the puff pastry on the bottom with a spiral of filo pastry with salted butter in between. Hidde's Tarte Tatin is served with a quenelle of rich vanilla ice cream with Dutch vanilla.