Heirloom Tarte Tatin with Late-Harvest Riesling Sabayon
Tarte Tatin is a French upside-down apple tart named for the two sisters who invented the dish. This version is topped with puff pastry and baked in a wood-fired oven or by indirect heat on a grill. It can be topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream, or better still with a frothy sabayon infused with an aromatic late-harvest Riesling. The sabayon is also terrific on its own or with berries. Choose a good baking or pie apple such as Gala, Pink Lady, Gravenstein, Braeburn, or Jonathan.
Recipe information
Yield
makes one 10-inch tart; serves 6
Ingredients
Late-Harvest Riesling Sabayon
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a medium heat fire (375°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker, or prepare a wood-fired grill for cooking over indirect heat.
Step 2
Lay the pastry sheet on a work surface and cut it into an 11-inch round. Cover the pastry with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.
Step 3
Peel and core the apples and cut them into sixths. Brush with lemon juice so they do not brown.
Step 4
Melt the butter and sugar together in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the apples in the sugar mixture in a snug, even pattern cut side down. Place on the stove top or on the grill over low to medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes until the apples are slightly soft and the sugar has begun to caramelize.
Step 5
Place the puff pastry round securely on top of the apples and tuck down inside the edge of the pan. Prick with a fork or cut a vent in the top.
Step 6
Bake in the oven or over indirect heat in a covered grill for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Step 7
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then place a serving dish over the pan and turn it upside down to unmold. The crust will have absorbed some of the juices. Cut into wedges and serve warm, topped with the sabayon.
Late-Harvest Riesling Sabayon
Step 8
Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl.
Step 9
Choose a saucepan large enough to set the bowl over and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer.
Step 10
Whisk the egg mixture in the bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk vigorously until it is about triple in volume and thick and frothy. Lift the bowl off the steam a few times, while whisking, to insure that the mixture does not get too hot and scramble the eggs. The total cooking time will be about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Serve now, or cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and use within 2 hours. It may need to be whisked again just before serving.
