Matt Tebbutt's spiced apple tarte tatin

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/apple-recipes-crumble-pie-baked-tarte-tatin-sj38n23vt

https://archive.ph/LOWjf



Serves 2-4

Ingredients
• 3 Cox’s apples, peeled and halved
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• A twist of black pepper
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Flour, for dusting
• 200g puff pastry

Method
1. Peel and core the apples, then cut in half from top to bottom. Set aside.
2. Press the butter into the base of a 20cm-diameter ovenproof copper or heavy-based pan with the back of a wooden spoon until it melts to completely over the base. Sprinkle over the caster sugar in an even layer. Place the cinnamon stick, star anise, vanilla pod, black pepper and nutmeg in the pan, then lay the halved apples on top, cut sides facing up.
3. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 3mm thick, then cut around a plate about 3cm larger than the cooking pan. Place the pastry in the pan, pushing it down between the side of the pan and the apples to create the sides of the tart. Make sure the whole pan is tightly packed. Prick the top all over to allow the steam to escape when cooking, then chill for 30 min or so.
4. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7.
5. To cook, put the pan over a moderate heat and every few minutes shake the pan to prevent the apples from burning. Look for a golden caramel colour to appear around the side of the pan after about 6-8 min. (At this point, if the pastry starts to melt, you’ve rolled it too thin. Remove, cool and start again.) Bake in the oven for 20-25 min, until the pastry is firm and golden.
6. If you are not serving the tart immediately, you can leave it in the pan and reheat it later, or turn it out warm and serve with clotted cream.