Foodie Friday #14 – Tarte aux pommes Maman Blanc

Hit the play button below to see how Nick and Raymond make Maman Blanc's tarte aux pommes! The full recipe's just here...

Nick says…

It's Foodie Friday! I have a real passion for food, and having owned quite a few restaurants over the years I've picked up some great cooking tips.

Over the next few weeks we'll be giving you some quick and easy ways to make the food you cook every day at home even tastier.

Have a go and let me know how you get on!

Raymond Blanc says...

Maman Blanc makes the best apple tart in the land, and this is her recipe. The secret is to choose an apple with the right balance of acidity and sugar, and a great flavour. We have found Captain Kidd from the Cox’s Orange Pippin family to be the best – aromatic and juicy, with a perfect texture. Other outstanding varieties are Egremont Russet, Lord Lambourne, Royal Jubilee, Crimson Cox and D’Arcy Spice. If you are unable to find any of these, use Braeburn or any Cox variety.

To ensure a crisp, cooked pastry base, I use a tart ring placed directly on a hot pizza baking stone.

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry...

• 250 plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 125g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 organic/free range medium egg, plus 1 extra yolk

For the filling...

• 3 Cox's or Braeburn apples (see above)
• 15g unsalted butter, melted
• 65g caster sugar
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp Calvados (optional)
• Icing sugar, to dust
• 1 organic/free range medium egg
• 100ml whipping cream

Method

To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and salt into a large bowl and rub together delicately using your fingertips until the mixture has a sandy texture.

Make a well in the centre and add the whole egg and extra yolk. With the tips of your fingers, in little concentric circles, work the egg into the flour and butter mixture. Once the egg has been incorporated, bring the dough together and press to form a ball. (Or you could make the pastry in a food processor, using the pulse button to bring the dough together.)

Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with the palms of your hands for 20 seconds, until you have a homogeneous dough; do not overwork it, or the pastry will lose some of its flakiness and will shrink back during cooking. Break off a small piece (20–30g) of dough and wrap it in cling film.

Flatten the rest of the dough into a disc, about 2cm thick; this will enable it to cool more quickly and make it easier to roll out. Wrap the dough in cling film and rest in the fridge for 20–30 minutes to minimise shrinkage during cooking. Stand an 18cm tart ring on a wooden peel lined with greaseproof paper.

Place the rested dough on a sheet of cling film, about 40cm square, cover with another similar sheet of cling film and roll out to a 2–3mm thickness. Remove the top layer of film. Lift the dough by the lower sheet of cling film and invert it over the tart ring. Remove the cling film. Lift the edges of the pastry and push the dough carefully into the ring. Use the reserved wrapped dough ball to press the dough onto the base and sides of the ring, ensuring it is neatly moulded into the shape of the ring. This will minimise shrinkage during cooking.

Trim the edge of the pastry by rolling a rolling pin over the top of the ring, from the centre out to each side. Now raise the height of the dough 2mm above the tart ring, by using your index finger and thumb to push the pastry gently up all around the edge, turning the tart ring as you go. With a fork, prick the pastry base all over. Place the tart in the fridge for 20 minutes to relax the pastry.

Preheat the oven to 210°C/Gas 6½. Place a baking stone or heavy baking tray in the middle of the oven to heat up.

Peel and core the apples, then cut each into 8–10 slices. Arrange the apple slices overlapping in the tart case. Mix together the melted butter, 15g of the sugar, the lemon juice and Calvados if using, and brush over the apples. Dust liberally with icing sugar; it will melt then caramelise in the oven.

Using the wooden peel, slide the tart onto the preheated baking stone or tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Mix together the egg, remaining 50g sugar and the cream. Pour the custard over the apples and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the apples are a lovely amber colour, the custard is slightly puffed and the pastry is light golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 30 minutes before serving. Lightly dust with icing sugar as you serve.

Variations

The tart can be made with apricots, plums, cherries, pears or peaches, according to the season.

• Foodie Friday