Recipe: Tarte Tatin (Beef Tenderloin)

Tarte Tatin

From Le Lafayette Club

Makes 8 servings

The French cut of beef known as the filet is more commonly referred to as the tenderloin in the United States. The meat tastes best when cooked rare.

2 to 3 pound filet of beef (beef tenderloin), trimmed and tied

For the Pastry:
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons water

For the Filling:
12 large,firm apples
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/2 cups sugar

Prepare the pastry:
Place the flour and butter in a food processor bowl and pulse to blend, about 5 seconds. Add the sugar and eggs and process until well blended, about 10 seconds. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until the mixture begins to form a ball.

Form the dough into a flattened round and chill, covered, for at least an hour.

Prepare the filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Peel and core the apples. Slice each apple lengthwise in 4 pieces. In a 9-inch tarte tatin pan or a cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar and cook until it turns a light caramel color.

Beginning at the outside edge of the pan, place the apple slices along the edge of the pan with the rounded side down. Repeat with a second circle of apples inside the first. Fill in any gaps with the remaining apples. Bake for 1 hour until the apples soften and release their juices.

Assemble the tarte:
Roll the pastry out to form a 10-inch round. Put the pastry on top of the apples and bake for 20—30 minutes until the pastry is fully cooked. Immediately invert the tart onto a serving dish. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Buy the Book!

from:
Paradise Found
The people, restaurants and recipes of St. Barthélemy
by Robert & Kara Brooks
Buckley Lane Press
$37.50, Hardcover
Full-color photographs throughout
ISBN: 0-9743127-0-3
Recipe reprinted by permission.