Chausson aux pommes, its history and our selection of the best addresses

Legend has it that in 1630, the chatelaine of Saint-Calais in the Sarthe region distributed apple pies to the poor following a terrible epidemic. Since then, on the first Sunday of September, the town has celebrated the "chausson". A dedicated brotherhood was even created in 1992!

Today, bakers, pastry-makers and even some chefs have made it their specialty. Puff pastry in the shape of a half-moon for old-fashioned turnovers, sometimes inverted, apples chosen for their resistance to cooking and their taste, used in compote or even whole, and a shape that varies according to taste. From the most traditional to the most gourmet, Gault&Millau set out to discover these exceptional turnovers, because there is not one but many recipes!

Romain Bourdillat's apple, Maison Bourdillat, Chamonix

A young baker set up in Chamonix in 2021, Romain Bourdillat is devoted to the apple turnover. His interpretation honors the Canadian variety for its acidity and resistance to baking. "I vacuum-cook the whole apples in a green cardamom caramel before wrapping them in an inverted puff pastry. As the fruit is already cooked, the cooking is very quick and preserves the texture of the apple."Taking the shape of the fruit, the golden pastry is deliciously crisp, while the melting apple retains its fibrous side. A vanilla bean completes the picture. Bite into the apple!

• 424 Rue Joseph Vallot, Chamonix, France
• www.maisonbourdillat.com/

RomainBourdillat

Guillaume Cabrol's gastronomic version, Hôtel George V, Paris

Guillaume Cabrol, the Palace's head baker, chose to work with a puff pastry like the one he uses for his croissants. The dough is shaped in a way reminiscent of the craftsman's "lamage". As for the compote, it's made from a mix of apples and pears, the varieties of which vary according to the season, with cider vinegar added for a tangy finish. Once baked, the turnover is topped again with compote for added indulgence. A highly gourmet triangular viennoiserie!

• 31 Av. George V, 75008 Paris
• www.fourseasons.com/fr/paris/

George V

Julien Duboué's baked version, B.O.U.L.O.M, Paris

This is not an apple turnover, but an apple turnover, as the puff pastry is wrapped around a whole apple. Sprinkled with brown sugar to caramelize the dough, the turnovers are baked in the bread oven. While they retain the shape of traditional turnovers, their small, visible tails recall the presence of the whole fruit. Its XL size makes it even more gourmet.

• 181 Rue Ordener, 75018 Paris
• www.boulom.net

©DR

Apple turnover from Sébastien Lagrue, Argelès-Gazost

Sébastien Lagrue favors inverted puff pastry for its light, crumbly texture. He uses Golden apples for their sweetness. "I prepare a compote of apples with Madagascar vanilla and a touch of butter, because I'm from Normandy. At the end of cooking, I mix half of my compote and keep the pieces in the other half to preserve a nice texture in the mouth." An anthology turnover that joins the showcases of this 2019 World Champion of raw chocolate bread, artisan baker and globe-trotting trainer.

• 4 place du Foirail, 65400 Argelès-Gazost
• 05 62 92 63 87

©DR

The baguette version by Frédéric Tessier Carette, Paris

Twenty years ago, Frédéric Tessier, Head Pastry Chef at Maison Carette, was inspired by the baguette to imagine a long turnover, almost 35 cm long. "I was looking for a practical shape to eat on the street, as compote often drips from well-filled traditional turnovers."The puff pastry, made with AOP Poitou Charente butter, is filled with a compote of mixed Granny Smith and Golden apples, then caramelized at the end of cooking to give the turnover an even crispier texture. To be devoured without moderation.

• 4 place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris
• www.instagram.com/caretteofficiel/?hl=fr

©Carette