Tarte Tatin

Otherwise called Fancy Apple Pie with not enough crust (so say the Queks).

At least it was beautiful...

Tarte Tatin (largely from Gourmet, March 2001)

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (I used Pampas all-butter), thawed
1/2 stick (1/4 of a block of Anchor butter) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (I used brown but next time will go for half-white, half-brown)
7 to 9 apples (I used a mix of granny smiths and some first red ones), peeled, cored, and cut into 6s (or 8s for large specimens)

Preheat oven to 230°C.

Spread butter thickly on bottom and side of skillet and pour sugar evenly over bottom. Cook until sugar melts into the butter and starts to bubble gently. Arrange as many apples as will fit on sugar, packing them tightly in concentric circles.

Cook apples over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18 to 25 minutes.

Put skillet in middle of oven over a piece of foil to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven and lay pastry over apples.

Bake tart until pastry is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer skillet to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes.

Just before serving, invert a platter with lip over skillet and, using potholders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet. Serve immediately.