International
Tarte Tatin, its history and our selection of the best addresses
We all know the legend of the Tatin sisters, who in the 19th century forgot to put the pastry in the bottom of their mold and added it to the top during baking. Today, this inverted dessert continues to inspire pastry chefs and cooks alike.
Its fundamentals: ultra-melting caramelized apples and a crisp pastry, usually shortcrust, for an emblematic tart that's baked upside down, but eaten right side up! Traditionally, it's best prepared in a copper mould, generously lined with butter and powdered sugar, then with apple wedges sprinkled with sugar to caramelize. The thinly rolled-out shortcrust pastry is then placed on top of the fruit before the tart is put in the oven. Today, every chef has his or her own version. There are a multitude of interpretations: the fruit and type of pastry vary, and baking is sometimes done separately.
Pascal and Julien Lac
The Lac family is a fan of gourmet delights, and their Tarte Tatin is a prime example. " We roast Golden apples in the oven with butter caramel and fleur de sel. For the pastry, we chose a sweet almond pastry topped with a frangipane cream for even more deliciousness ", confides Julien Lac. For the crunch, the apples are surrounded by deliciously crumbly pieces of crumble dough. We'll be back for more!
- 12 rue de la Préfecture, Nice
- Read Gault&Millau's review of Pâtisserie Lac
Benoit Castel, Paris
Recycled and anti-waste, Benoit Castel's tarte Tatin is a model of its kind. The artisan had the idea of creating a jelly by recovering apple cores and skins instead of throwing them away. He begins by boiling the fruit remains, then recovers the filtered water to transform it into vegetable jelly. The Royale Gala is then cut into very thin slices, candied with sugar and ginger, and layered on a crumbly Breton shortbread. He then covers the whole with a generous layer of jelly. A must!
- 150 rue de Ménilmontant, Paris
- Read Gault&Millau's review of Benoît Castel
Boulangerie Mie Mie, Paris
Opened in July 2022, Amélia Bel and Antonin Ballu created the boulangerie Mie Mie by choosing quality. For her tarte Tatin, Eve, the pastry chef, makes a Breton hazelnut shortbread on which she places caramelized GoldenGolden apples arranged like petals, and a touch of Isigny cream chosen for its light acidity. " We combine product quality with an eco-responsible approach. Added to this, of course, is know-how, conviviality and pleasure. "An apple blossom you'll want to try.
- 25 rue Sedaine, Paris
- www.instagram.com/boulangeriemiemie
©SimonAngebaud
Maison Pralus, Roanne
For the Pralus family, Tarte Tatin has been a staple from father to son. Their choice of shortcrust pastry is topped with Canada apples candied in caramel, then topped with an apple confit flavored with Madagascan vanilla. For added indulgence, the tart is accompanied by a quenelle of vanilla bavaroise. A dessert that has the Roanne crowd on the run!
- Halles Diderot, Roanne
- Read Gault&Millau's review of Maison Pralus
Matthieu Hervé, Château de Montcaud, Sabran
" I'm originally from Normandy, and it's a tradition with us to prepare a tarte tatin every Sunday in winter. The apples are finely sliced with a Japanese mandolin, then assembled in an apple millefeuille and placed on a thin puff pastry. Served with brioche perdue ice cream, fontainebleau mousse, streusel bits and liquid caramel, the Tatin has gone from strength to strength.
- Hameau de Combes, Sabran
- www.chateaudemontcaud.com
These news might interest you
The history of crème brûlée and our best addresses
A lightly crunchy caramelized surface, crème brûlée sometimes invites fantasy. Traditionally made with vanilla, Chefs are not lacking in imagination when it comes to offering multiple variations. Gault&Millau shares its history and the best addresses of the moment.
Solar salt workers
For nearly a decade, Matthieu Le Chantoux has been producing and harvesting salt in the Mès basin, in the picturesque setting of the Guérande salt marshes. An independent salt worker and producer-harvester, he launched L'Atelier du Sel in 2013 with his uncle, then continued the business with Hughes Martineau, his cousin. In keeping with the tradition of salt workers, ancestral gestures and know-how are perpetuated, as is the pride of offering a natural product harvested by hand, using artisanal methods.
Our partners
Food products, kitchen equipment, tableware, service solutions...
See the full list of partners who place their trust in Gault&Millau
All our partners
