Tarte Tatin: what do we know for sure about tarte Tatin?

Would it surprise you if I said that not all chefs agree on what makes an "authentic" tarte Tatin? No? I didn't think so. Sure, it's generally (but not universally) agreed that the sisters Stephanie and Caroline Tatin were responsible for developing the beloved recipe, but the exact details vary with the storyteller.

The demoiselles Tatin inherited, from their father, a small hotel in the remote Loire Valley town of Lamotte-Beuvron. Stephanie, the eldest, cooked and managed the kitchen, while Caroline handled service and the hotel's business affairs. L'hotel Tatin was popular with the hunting crowd, and the most oft-repeated version of the creation myth says that one afternoon, flirtatious Stephanie was driven to distraction by the attentions of a handsome hunter just back from the woods. Breathless and blushing after her amorous encounter, Stephanie found herself running behind on her kitchen duties. To make up time, she threw apple slices, butter and sugar into a pan, set it on the stove and promptly forgot about it--until she caught the unmistakable whiff of caramel, not normally a part of her recipe. In a bid to creatively salvage the dessert, she topped the apples with a pate brisee lid, slid it in the oven and hoped for the best.

One rather unlikely variation on this tale has Stephanie mistakenly inverting the raw ingredients in her tart--a possibility, I suppose, if she'd been too liberal with her midday nips of Muscadet. Another more plausible variation suggests that Stephanie had always lined her tart pan with pate brisee, until that hectic day, when she simply forgot. Some say that Stephanie's kitchen didn't have an oven, and that everything was made on the stovetop. Some say that the inverted tart recipe didn't originate in the humble country inn, but was given to the Tatin sisters by the Comte de Chateauvillars' cook. Some say that Stephanie's name was actually Fanny.

What do we know for sure about tarte Tatin? Less than you might imagine for such a simple confection. Master Pastry Chef Bo Friberg says in his book, The Professional Pastry Chef, that the most authentic version of tarte Tatin is one in which the apples, sugar and butter have been cooked together, and in which puff pastry is laid raw upon the apples before being placed in the oven.

Friberg acknowledges, however, that the traditional method is not always a practical approach for a busy restaurant kitchen, "unless you want to charge $25 for a dessert. You have to have someone watching it like a hawk, and it takes a lot of time.

"People have different opinions and philosophies," he continues. "You can make a caramel sauce and set it aside and pour it over the apples at the last minute of cooking, but you're not going to get the same kind of caramelized apple as when you start with sugar and a little butter. The sugar draws the moisture out of the apple, if you are using the right variety." (Friberg insists on Red or Golden Delicious.) He continues, "It cooks down, and then you have a caramel sauce that you reduce, and at the same time you are infusing that caramel sugar flavor into the whole apple."

In a day and age where chefs can make pasta out of crustaceans (we're looking at you, Dufresne) and lasagne from rice paper (see Patricia Yeo recipe, page 21), we see no reason for them not to play fast and loose with the rules of tarte Tatin--providing they understand and respect the concepts that underpinned the original.

British food journalist Catherine Quevremont has put together an eclectic and charming book, Sweet and Savory Tart Tatins With Friends (Hachette Illustrated 2003), that would surely make a Tatin purist gnash his teeth. She cooks pears in simple syrup, layers creme fraiche and apricots atop ready-made puff pastry, even recommends substituting pastry doughs made from Parmesan cheese and cornflake cereal for your classic pate brisee. Are such variations "authentic"? Hardly--but they illustrate the sense of invention that keeps cooking so gratifying for so many; further, they help stake out a middle ground somewhere between "I got this tank of fizzy lifting gas from my dad's friend at NASA" and "this is the exact way Apicius made it." And we don't think that's such a bad place to be.

SEBASTIEN ROUXEL

BOUCHON BAKERY AND PER SE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

If you want to work for Sebastien Rouxel, get ready to hit the ground running. Of his newly-expanded domain within Thomas Keller's empire, which now includes three Bouchon Bakeries, Per Se and the French Laundry, Rouxel says, "I don't want to have to repeat myself four times a day about simple stuff, because it's a big machine that is always going and does not stop. You just have to kind of jump into the wheel and keep running."

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Rouxel himself has been running since his teenage years in the Loire Valley, where he spent summers and school vacations working at his aunt's restaurant before beginning his formal culinary apprenticeship at a nearby Michelin-starred restaurant. He started on the hot line, but was fortuitously called to assist for a few weeks in the pastry kitchen and never went back.

"For me, pastry was a little more like science, with more things to discover," says the chef. "There were things I didn't like in the kitchen, the atmosphere, the yelling, and there is a lot more repetition, you know? When you make veal stock, it's always going to be veal stock. In pastry, we have more of a chance to come up with new ideas."

Rouxel eventually earned a master's degree, then completed his compulsory military service by cooking for 20 to 500 guests per day at the residence of the French president. "Honestly, I don't know how that happened, because you don't choose which assignment you have," he says. "I loved living in Paris, and it was great to see something different after working in high-end restaurants and patisseries." In 1996, once he'd fulfilled his official duty, Rouxel departed for the United States, landing first at L'Orangerie, in Los Angeles. He then made his way to New York and joined the brigade at Lutece, under Eberhard Muller. Upon meeting Thomas Keller, Rouxel returned to California and spent the next five years in Yountville, overseeing desserts and production at the French Laundry and Bouchon. He returned to New York, along with Keller, chef de cuisine Jonathan Benno, and a number of other key Keller players to open Per Se, the highly-anticipated and even more highly-acclaimed crown jewel in the Time Warner Center's restaurant collection. Frank Bruni of the New York Times gave the restaurant a four-star review, and Michelin awarded Per Se three stars in its inaugural New York guidebook.

All diners at Per Se enjoy a prix-fixe menu, but in the beginning, guests were also offered an a la carte menu. "Now, I wouldn't necessarily say it's easier," explains Rouxel, "or that we have a lot less to do, because we still have to serve the same number of guests. But now we have to do a higher volume of fewer items, which allows me to change the menu more often. I think it's a good thing."

Rouxel divides his time between the Napa Valley, Las Vegas and New York, making sure that the growing Thomas Keller brand's rigorous standards are upheld in each location. "Everybody has a little freedom," he says, "but it is my job, to make sure that everyone is maintaining the kind of quality that the public expects." Rouxel himself is largely self-governed these days, as Keller has evolved from a chef into a restaurateur, and the two are rarely in the same location at the same time. "I have a lot of freedom," he says. "Thomas is not checking up on me, and I don't have to report to him on a day-to-day basis."

He counts Pierre Herme' among his influences, and says that he is most drawn to "classic food. I think the classic is very important. More and more, the new--they call themselves pastry chefs--do not know how to do the classic food or the basics. I think if you master the basics, it opens the door for tons of things. We live in a modern world, and you have to entertain your guests, give them a modern twist, but you don't have to change the wheel. Like tarte Tatin. It's apple and caramel, you know? It works. I think in the world that we live in now, there are so many things happening, and when you come to a restaurant it's nice to have something that makes you happy, that worked for you before. Maybe it's something that you had as a kid, but we give it a little twist, so you're entertained at the same time."

RELATED ARTICLE: Apple Tatin with Apple Sorbet and Caramel Cider (Serves 8)

Bommes

Chateau Sigalas-Raboud

France 2006

For the apple chiboust: In bowl, whisk together yolks, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Stir in cream and juice. Transfer to scucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Squeeze excess liquid from gelatin and add to juice mixture, stirring to dissolve. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and keep warm. In mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix egg white until frothy. With mixer running, slowly odd sugar and whisk to medium peaks. Fold whites into worm juice mixture. Transfer to 8-inch square pan and freeze until ready to use.

For the apple sorbet: In saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Transfer to bowl and let cool. Stir in juice and powder. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions and freeze until ready to use.

For the almond streusel powder: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, combine flours, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix until fine crumbs form. Transfer to parchment-lined sheet pen and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Place in food-processor fitted with metal blade and coarsely grind mixture. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

For the caramel ice: In saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown. Transfer to Silpat[R]-lined sheet pan and let cool. Break into pieces, place in food processor fitted with metal blade and coarsely grind. Store half of powder in airtight container until ready to use. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle remaining powder in thin layer onto Silpat[R]-lined sheet pan and heat in oven until powder liquefies. Let cool slightly and cut into desired shapes.

For the candied apple: In saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apple and cook until apple is softened but still firm. Drain and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cider gel: In saucepan, bring cider to boil over medium heat. Stir in agar-agar and sugar and boil one minute. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and transfer to 8-inch square pan to cool and set. Cut into desired shapes and refrigerate unfil ready to use.

For the caramel cider: In saute pan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is golden brown Stir in butter and cider and reduce until mixture coots back of wooden spoon. Let cool.

To serve: Cut chiboust into desired shapes and arrange on plate with caramel cider, cider gel and caramel ice strips and reserved powder. Place almond streusel powder alongside and top with quenelle of sorbet. Garnish with candied apple, vanilla powder, mint leaves and violets, and serve.

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RELATED ARTICLE: Apple Tatin with Yogurt Cream and Spiced Caramel Ice Cream (Serves 8)

2eme Cru Classe

Chateau Caillou

Barsac, France 1998

For the spiced caramel ice cream: In saucepan, cook sugar over medium-low heat until golden brown. Stir in vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, pepper and salt and deglaze with water. Whisk in cream and return to boil. In bowl, whisk together yolks and milk and stir into hot cream mixture. Heat to 180 degrees, stirring constantly, and transfer to bowl over ice bath to chill. Refrigerate 12 hours. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions and freeze until ready to use.

For the puff pastry flake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll puff pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to parchment-lined sheet pan and top with another sheet parchment. Place five sheet pans on top and bake 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 315 degrees. In saucepan heat corn syrup and whisk in water. Remove sheet pans and top layer of parchment, brush pastry with com syrup mixture and return to oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Carefully remove glazed top layer and cut into desired shapes. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

For the almond streusel powder: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, combine flours, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix until fine crumbs form. Transfer to parchment-lined sheet pan and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Place in food-processor fitted with metal blade and coarsely grind mixture. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

For the apple gelee: In saucepan, heat juice over low heat. Squeeze excess moisture from gelatin and add to juice, stirring to dissolve. Divide mixture among eight serving plates and refrigerate.

For the yogurt cream: In bowl, combine yogurt and sugar. Fold in creme fraiche and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the caramelized apples: In saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat and cook until golden brown. Deglaze with water and keep worm. In saute pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add apples and cook until apples are golden brown but still firm. Stir in sugar mixture and transfer to sheet pan to cool.

To serve: Arrange caramelized apples, yogurt cream and almond streusel powder on top of gelee. Top powder with quenelle of ice cream, garnish with puff pastry flake and serve.

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RELATED ARTICLE: Tarte Tatin (Serves 6)

Blanc de Blancs

Duval-Leroy

France NV

For the caramel: In saucepan, cook sugar over medium-low heat until golden brown, Whisk in butter until smooth and transfer to 9-inch round non-stick pan Let cool.

For the apples: In saucepon, combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring to mell sugar. Add apples and cook until apples are golden brown but still firm. Remove from heat, add Calvados and flambe. Drain apples on paper towels and refrigerate until cool. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange apples in slightly overlapping circular pattern on top of caramel in pan. Bake in oven 45 minutes. Let cool and drain off excess liquid. Refrigerate three hours.

For the puff pastry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll puff pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to parchment-lined sheet pan and top with another sheet parchment. Place five sheet pans on lop and bake 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 315 degrees. In saucepan heat corn syrup and whisk in water. Remove sheet pans and top layer of parchment, brush pastry with corn syrup mixture and return to oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

To serve: Cut puff pastry into 9-inch circle and place atop apples. Using blow torch, heat bottom of pan to release apples, and invert to unmold. Garnish with cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and star anise and serve.

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