Fig Tarte Tatin

The green grocers in my neighbourhood have fresh figs and they don’t cost and arm and a leg! I love to buy them for this little hors d’œuvres but even when I make a bunch, I have leftover figs! I served the tasty hors d’oœuvres for a friend who came over for a glass of wine. The figs made a lovely snack but 3 days later, I still had 7 leftover! So I decided to make a tarte tatin using a different pastry.

My new friend Stefan of Stefan’s Gourmet Blog recently brought to my attention that the original Tarte Tatin did not incorporate a puff pastry crust! The original pastry is more of a short-crust pastry. Who doesn’t love pastry? And this tart is definitely about the pastry! Stefan developed a short-cut for the short-crust that makes it even flakier (don’t take my word for it, check out the last photo!). And it’s so easy. Just a few steps in the refrigerator and Bob’s your uncle. Check out Stefan’s blog to see his step by step technique.

Figs and walnuts make a great pair.

Fig Tarte Tatin

Click here for the original recipe. Makes 1 tarte about 20 cm in diameter.

Ingredients for the pastry:

• 200 grams pastry flour, divided
• 25 g sugar
• 1 g salt
• 100 g cold butter, in cubes
• 1 egg, beaten well, divided

Directions for the pastry:

1. Combine 130 g of the flour, the sugar, and the salt in the large bowl of your food processor and pulse. Add the cold butter and pulse until it comes together.
2. Flatten the dough with your hand (make sure the safety is on) and sprinkle the remaining 70 g on top and pulse until it crumbles (should not come together). Transfer the crumbly dough into a bowl.
3. Pour most of the beaten egg over top of the crumbly mixture and cover; reserve the leftover egg. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
4. With a wooden spoon (not your hands), mix the egg into the dough to form a soft ball (add cold water if necessary, I did not); wrap the ball with plastic wrap, flatten and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 7-10 small figs
• 40 g walnut halves
• 100 g sugar
• 100 ml water
• 40 grams unsalted butter
• 1 g salt

Directions for the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Cut the stems off the figs and cut them in half. Set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and water in a small cast iron pan. Without stirring, cook the sugar until it is amber in colour. Don’t leave its side!
4. When the sugar has caramelized to a gorgeous amber colour, turn the heat down to low and add the salt, swirling it around to mix. Add the walnuts and coat with the caramel and cook for about one minute. Tuck the figs into the caramel cut-side down in the midst of the walnuts and cook for another minute. Remove the cast iron pan from the heat.
5. Roll out the cold dough into a slightly larger circle than the pan. Lay the pastry over the top and tuck the edges into the pan. Brush the top of the pastry with the reserved egg.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden on top. Allow the tarte to cool for about 10 minutes and then turn it carefully onto a plate, the caramel will be scorching hot. If the figs don’t settle into the pastry as pretty as they could, move them around until you are satisfied.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The pastry is meant for a larger pan but I didn’t have enough figs so I had a slightly thicker edge than normal, who’s complaining?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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