How to reduce the moisture when making tarte tatin
I've tried making pear and apple tarte tatin a couple of times, using different recipes, and the result is always the same.
When I take the pan out of the oven and flip it over, the pastry is moist, and the thick caramel has turned very runny.
I've tried reducing the amount of butter used, and using different types of sugar, but nothing seems to have an effect...
Is there a way to keep everything "dry" ?
Best Answer
The reason, I think, that most recipes don't leave a thick caramel and it all goes 'runny' is that it's designed to go into a sort of caramel-y sauce when turned out.
Since in most conventional recipes you par-cook the fruit in the caramel then top with the pastry and bake, the fruit releases a lot of moisture into the caramel and making it runnier. Therefore, if you cook the apples separately (boiling them, say) then drain, add to the caramel and cover with pastry and bake, much less juice should leak out of them.
I would keep the caramel recipe the same as in the recipe but just follow the steps above. I don't think the type of sugar will make any difference other then flavor (although soft brown sugars do have more moisture in them).
Also, since everything except the pastry is cooked, try baking the pastry conventionally (in the oven) then grill it for a few minutes to increase the heat on the pastry directly to avoid it becoming soggy.
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Quick Answer about "How to reduce the moisture when making tarte tatin"
Why is my Tarte Tatin bitter?
When preparing the caramel for this quick and simple skillet-baked apple tart, be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the caramel is just amber -- the sugar will continue to cook from residual heat, which could lead to a bitter, burned sauce.How do you keep Tarte Tatin from sticking?
Once it is thoroughly chilled, return the pan and it's contents to the stove over medium high heat and gently, with splayed palms, rotate the tart to be sure that it doesn't stick to the pan when you unmold it. With a plate held taut over the pan, quickly (and calmly) invert the pan onto the plate and voila!What pan can I use for Tarte Tatin?
Choose a pan: a copper tarte tatin mold will be perfect (here's a link to a good one), but you can also use an iron skillet (as long as it doesn't smell like salmon or something) or even a heavy stainless steel (like All-Clad) or non-stick saut\xe9 pan.Foolproof Tarte Tatin Recipe | Preppy Kitchen
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Answer 2
I think sebbidychef has a good point, you should try the draining. But it's not only the amount of juice that causes your problem. Acid makes caramel runny. So you should also try sweeter fruit - riper pears, sweeter types of apple.
Answer 3
Gordon Ramsey peels the apples and leaves them in the fridge a day before so they dry out. They don't look so good then but the caramel hides it.
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