Strawberry Tarte Tatin

I’ve been away for a little while, focussing on getting the bulk of the cookbook written and sent to my editor. But I’m back and ready to fly into some super simple and tasty summer recipes! And what could be better than something sweet and strawberry? Tarte tatin is one of the easiest pastry desserts you can make and it works with all summer fruit and berries. All you need is an ovenproof pan.

For this recipe I’ll give you some options and ideas for ways you can push your tarte into different flavour profiles, as well as alternative ingredients for you to get creative with.

Strawberry Tarte Tatin
Serves 2

• 400g Strawberries

• 150g Puff pastry

• 70g Light muscovado sugar

• 40ml Water / kombucha / alcohol (PX, rum etc) OR 40g unsalted butter

• Vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp Natural yoghurt

• A small pinch of salt

• Optional: Fresh mint or black pepper

Notes: Use water for more of a pure strawberry flavour. Kombucha adds tannins and acidity which balances the sweetness of the tarte beautifully. A sweet alcohol adds complexity and a delightfully pretentious adult spin on this simple tart. And butter results in a smooth, enriched sauce. I love using black pepper with strawberries as the gentle heat compliments their sweet stickiness, giving them an extra aromatic kick. Finally, fresh mint does similar to black pepper, offering more dynamic range to the aromatic qualities of the recipe. If you decide to use it, either add after cooking or finely chop and mix it with the yoghurt.

Step 1.

Add the sugar and either liquid or butter to an oven proof (cast iron) pan and heat gently as the oven preheats to 200C / 390F. Once the sugar has dissolved (and butter melted), remove from the heat whilst you hull the strawberries and add them into the pan in a single layer, seasoning with salt and black pepper.

Step 2.

Roll out the pastry into a circle that’s roughly 2-3cm larger than the pan. Lay it over the strawberries and tuck it in around the edge. You’ll want to do this quickly as the heat from the pan will begin to melt the pastry. Once done, pop it in the oven on the top shelf and bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.

Step 3.

When cooked, very carefully turn the tarte out into a baking tray to collect any excess juices. Lift the tart onto a serving plate and blog three tbsp of yoghurt on top. Swirl it around a little, but not so much you end up with a weird pink mess. Then drizzle the excess juices from the tray over the top and serve.