Social Sweets Recipes: Marco's Apple Tart

Michelin star chef Jason Artheton may have a highly acclaimed restaurant chain that spans the globe, but he still finds time to let the public in on his culinary secrets. His latest cookbook, Social Sweets, includes over 100 heavenly dessert recipes that integrate a heady mix of flavours and techniques he harvested during his travels abroad. In Social Sweets, Jason Artheton injects a creative flair into traditional puddings, with explosively tasty results.

We can’t get enough of this simple yet mouth-watering apple tart.

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Marco’s Apple Tart

When I worked with Nico Ladenis at Chez Nico, I was responsible for making French apple tarts and they had to turn out perfectly or Nico would make me start them over. After thousands of apple tarts, I could make them in my sleep! Of course, nothing beats a good homemade puff pastry but if you decide to use a shop-bought all butter version then half the work is done for you. It is really then just an assembly job, layering the apples slices neatly on the puff pastry.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6–8

50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
50g caster sugar
300g Quick Puff Pastry (see page 238) or bought butter puff pastry
3 eating apples (such as Pink Lady, Jazz, Braeburn or Royal Gala)
sifted icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or baking parchment. Brush the lined sheets with a little of the melted butter, then sprinkle over half of the caster sugar. Set aside.

Divide the pastry in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece to 2–3mm thickness. Place the pastry bases on the buttered and sugared baking sheets. Keep the baking sheets in the fridge while you prepare the apples.

Peel and core the apples, then cut into neat 3mm slices. Remove the pastry bases from the fridge and arrange the apple slices on top, in overlapping rows, making sure that you leave a 1.5cm margin clear around the pastry rim. Brush the apples generously with melted butter, then sprinkle over the remaining caster sugar.

Bake the tart for 30–35 minutes or until the apples are cooked: there should be no resistance when you pierce them with the tip of a knife. (If the apple topping has not browned enough, sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar and place under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes – watching closely – until the sugar caramelises and the top is nicely golden brown.) Cool completely before cutting into slices and dusting with icing sugar.

Recipe extracted from Social Sweets by Jason Artheton (Bloomsbury Publishing, Hardback £17.50)