French Tarte Tatin Upside Down Caramelized Apple Tart with Crème Fraîche and Sea Salt

Ingredients

• For the pastry:
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3-4 tbsp ice-cold water
• For the caramelized apples:
• 6-7 large firm apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn — they hold their shape)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• For serving:
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or lightly whipped cream
• Flaky sea salt (fleur de sel)

Instructions

1. Make the pastry: pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until dough comes together. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Cut each quarter into 2-3 thick wedges. They need to be substantial — they'll shrink significantly during caramelization.
3. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal), melt butter over medium heat. Add all the sugar in an even layer. Cook without stirring until the edges begin to turn amber, then swirl the pan gently. Continue cooking until you have a deep amber caramel — be brave, the darker the better without burning. Season with salt.
4. Remove from heat. Arrange apple wedges tightly in concentric circles, rounded-side down, directly in the hot caramel. They should fit very snugly — pack them in. Return to medium heat and cook 20-25 minutes, pressing the apples down occasionally, until the caramel bubbles thickly around the apples and they are tender and deeply golden.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out the chilled pastry to a circle slightly larger than the skillet. Drape it over the apples, tucking the edges down inside the pan around the fruit.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes — critical for the caramel to firm slightly.
7. Place a large plate over the skillet. In one confident move, invert the tart. Let it sit a moment for any remaining caramel to cascade over the apples. Sprinkle fleur de sel over the gleaming caramelized apples. Serve warm with a generous spoonful of crème fraîche alongside.