Tarte NormandeNormandy Apple Tart

Make pâte brisée with visible cold butter pieces

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the butter chills in the freezer, wipe the worktop and rolling pin and set aside 10g dusting flour in a small bowl.
• 2 Cut 70g unsalted pastry butter into 1.5cm cubes, spread on a tray and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• 3 Put 130g cake flour, 10g pastry sugar and 2g salt in a bowl, whisk for 30 seconds and refrigerate the bowl.
• 4 Prepare ice water, measure 20ml cold water from it, beat with 1 egg yolk and return to the refrigerator; cover and refrigerate the egg white separately.
• 5 Add the frozen butter to the chilled flour and cut it through the flour with a dough scraper to form coarse pieces about 5mm across.
• 6 Quickly rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• 7 Pour in the egg-yolk and water mixture in 3 additions, cutting it in with the scraper each time until no dry flour remains.
• 8 Turn onto the worktop and press the dough away from you with the heel of your hand only 2–3 times, using fraisage, to bring it together. Shape into a 2cm-thick disc and wrap.

Rest the dough for 1 hour to relax the gluten

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the dough rests, wipe the inside of a 22cm loose-bottomed tart pan with a dry cloth, cut 1 sheet of baking parchment larger than the pan, and measure out baking weights.
• 2 Place the wrapped dough on the coldest refrigerator shelf and rest for 1 hour.

Roll and fit snugly into a 22cm pan

• 1 On a floured worktop, roll the dough into a circle 30cm in diameter and 3mm thick.
• 2 Loosely wrap it around the rolling pin, transfer it over the 22cm tart pan and unfold from the center outward.
• 3 Ease the dough into the bottom corners and press the sides against the pan with the pads of your fingers so it fits snugly into every corner.
• 4 Roll the rolling pin across the rim to trim off excess pastry.
• 5 Prick the entire base with a fork at 2cm intervals.

Chill the lined pan to prevent shrinkage

• 1 MeanwhileWhile it chills, preheat the oven to 180°C.
• 2 Place the lined pan on a baking tray and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.

Blind-bake a firm shell that holds its shape

• 1 Line the chilled pastry with baking parchment and pack with baking weights right into the corners without gaps.
• 2 Bake on the middle rack at 180°C for 20 minutes.
• 3 Remove the weights and paper, bake at 180°C for another 8 minutes and remove when the base is pale golden.

Seal the base with baked egg white

• 1 Lightly loosen the reserved egg white with a fork and brush 10g in a thin layer over the inside base and sides of the shell immediately after blind baking, while still hot.
• 2 Return to the oven at 180°C for 3 minutes; when the egg white has dried into a thin film, remove and place on a rack.
• 3 Reduce the oven setting to 170°C.

Sauté the apples in 3 batches and coat with Calvados

• 1 Peel and core the apples to obtain 400g prepared fruit, then cut into even 5mm-thick slices.
• 2 Melt 5g of the unsalted butter for the apples in a frying pan about 26cm across over medium heat. When the bubbles become fine, arrange 1/3 of the apples in a single layer without overlaps.
• 3 Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes on one side, turn gently with a spatula and cook for another 2 minutes. Once lightly colored, spread in a single layer on a tray.
• 4 Repeat with the remaining 2 batches, melting 5g butter each time, arranging the apples in a single layer, cooking for 2 minutes per side and spreading on the tray.
• 5 Return all 3 batches to the pan, turn off the heat and drizzle 10ml Calvados over them.
• 6 Return to medium heat and boil for 30–40 seconds while shaking the pan to drive off the alcohol smell.
• 7 Spread the apples on a tray without overlaps. Discard any juices left in the pan rather than adding them.

Make a smooth almond custard

• 1 MeanwhileWhile making the custard, place the tray of apples in a breezy spot to cool.
• 2 Whisk 1 whole egg with 50g custard sugar in a bowl for 1 minute until pale.
• 3 Split 1/2 vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife and add to the bowl.
• 4 Add 100ml thick crème fraîche and 1g salt and stir slowly 20 times without whipping in air.
• 5 Sift in 40g ground almonds and mix with a rubber spatula until no dry powder remains.
• 6 Add 20ml Calvados, stir 10 times and pass through a fine strainer into another bowl.

Arrange the apples radially and fill to 3mm below the rim

• 1 Arrange the cooled apple slices radially from the center outward in the sealed tart shell, slightly overlapping without gaps.
• 2 Slowly pour the custard between the apples until it reaches 3mm below the pan rim.
• 3 Place the pan on a baking tray and gently shake to level the custard.

Gently set the custard at 170°C

• 1 Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven at 170°C and bake for 42–45 minutes.
• 2 When baked, remove the pan and place on a rack.

Cool at room temperature for 2 and a half hours

• 1 Leave the tart in its pan on the rack at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and drafts, for 2 hours 30 minutes until completely cool.

Unmold, dust and serve

• 1 Lower and remove the sides of the loose-bottomed pan, slide a palette knife between the tart and metal base and transfer the tart to a plate.
• 2 Just before serving, lightly sift 5g icing sugar through a tea strainer over the entire surface.