What’s cooking today: Apricot Tarte Tatin

My gift of apricots was turned into an apricot tarte Tatin. But first, I decided to get them a little drunk. Tipsy apricots can only be better than teetotallers, in a tart at least.

By Tony Jackman

2 Dec

A brown paper bag of apricots, which ripened in a week. (Image: Tony Jackman)

I was given a box of freshly harvested apricots, a sweet reminder that the season for these juicy morsels is here and that a kuier will always bring you something unexpected, something to take home with you. (This recipe pairs with this column.) Ingredients 1 packet frozen puff pastry, thawed 12 to 14 fresh apricots, halved and stoned ½ cup berry liqueur (not necessarily Arctic cloudberry) ½ cup Ratafia or ⅓ cup peach brandy ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar The liquor you steeped the apricots in Method [caption id="attachment_1476442" align="alignnone" width="720"] The apricots ripened in a brown paper bag in a week. (Photo: Tony Jackman)[/caption] Halve the apricots, remove the stones, and put them in a bowl. Pour over the two liquors and stir to coat. Macerate for a few hours. On a low heat, melt the butter in a heavy ovenproof pan with the sugar and the liquor that you steeped the apricots in. The alcoholic additions need to cook away before the sugar and butter will caramelise. Then, leave it to caramelise slowly over a gentle heat, keeping an eye. Tilt the pan this way and that to help even out the browning of the sugar. You’re looking for a luxuriously caramelised buttery sauce. When it is pleasingly golden all over but not burnt, place the halved apricots round-side down to cover the entire pan. This is because you want the round side facing up when you turn out the tarte Tatin later. Let the apricots cook in the syrup on a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on, then remove it and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half and the golden caramelisation deepens; you’ll see it getting darker and richer in patches. Roll out the pastry on a floured board and cut out a round 3 cms bigger than the width of the top of the tart. Prick the pastry here and there with a fork. Lay it over the top of the tart, then tuck the edges underneath using the handle of a dessert spoon. Bake in a preheated 200℃ to 220℃ oven (ovens differ) until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow it to cool before disturbing the tart, which enables the crust to set and helps ensure that it will not break while being turned out. Turn out onto a large plate or board, by holding the plate over the top of the pan and then turning it over deftly and firmly, without letting it slide off the plate once turned. Serve with cream or ice cream. DM/TGIFood Tony Jackman is regional Vodacom Journalist of the Year (Lifestyle) Eastern Cape for 2022 and Galliova Food Champion 2021. Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond. SUBSCRIBE to TGIFood here. Also visit the TGIFood platform, a repository of all of our food writing.

The apricots ripened in a brown paper bag in a week. (Photo: Tony Jackman)

Halve the apricots, remove the stones, and put them in a bowl. Pour over the two liquors and stir to coat. Macerate for a few hours.

On a low heat, melt the butter in a heavy ovenproof pan with the sugar and the liquor that you steeped the apricots in. The alcoholic additions need to cook away before the sugar and butter will caramelise. Then, leave it to caramelise slowly over a gentle heat, keeping an eye. Tilt the pan this way and that to help even out the browning of the sugar. You’re looking for a luxuriously caramelised buttery sauce.

When it is pleasingly golden all over but not burnt, place the halved apricots round-side down to cover the entire pan. This is because you want the round side facing up when you turn out the tarte Tatin later.

Let the apricots cook in the syrup on a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on, then remove it and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half and the golden caramelisation deepens; you’ll see it getting darker and richer in patches.

Roll out the pastry on a floured board and cut out a round 3 cms bigger than the width of the top of the tart. Prick the pastry here and there with a fork. Lay it over the top of the tart, then tuck the edges underneath using the handle of a dessert spoon.

Bake in a preheated 200℃ to 220℃ oven (ovens differ) until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow it to cool before disturbing the tart, which enables the crust to set and helps ensure that it will not break while being turned out.

Turn out onto a large plate or board, by holding the plate over the top of the pan and then turning it over deftly and firmly, without letting it slide off the plate once turned. Serve with cream or ice cream. DM/TGIFood

Tony Jackman is regional Vodacom Journalist of the Year (Lifestyle) Eastern Cape for 2022 and Galliova Food Champion 2021.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.

SUBSCRIBE to TGIFood here. Also visit the TGIFood platform, a repository of all of our food writing.

TGIFood

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What’s cooking today: Apricot Tarte Tatin

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