One of the benefits of upside-down cakes and tarts is that, because the fruit sits on the base where the heat is highest, the sugary juices caramelise, adding a wonderful depth of flavour. Use a cast-iron frying pan for this recipe.
Pineapple and cardamom tarte Tatin
About as good as it looks.
- 30 mins preparation (plus chilling)
- 30 mins cooking (plus cooling and standing)
- Serves 6
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Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe pineapple (1.25kg)
- 90 gm butter, coarsely chopped
- 165 gm (¾ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch ground cloves
- Whipped cream or ice-cream, to serve
Pastry
- 225 gm (1½ cups) plain flour
- 1½ tbsp caster sugar
- 125 gm chilled unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 1 tbsp iced water
Method
- 1For the pastry, process flour, sugar and butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and water, processing until large clumps start to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 2Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 26cm heavy-based ovenproof frying pan with baking paper.
- 3Trim top and base from pineapple and remove skin. Cut pineapple into 5mm-thick slices. Using a pastry cutter, cut centre core from each slice.
- 4Add butter, sugar and spices to a large frying pan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves (2 minutes). Add half the pineapple slices, bring to a simmer and cook, turning, until just tender (3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer pineapple to a tray and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining pineapple. Reserve syrup.
- 5Arrange pineapple slices, slightly overlapping, in lined ovenproof frying pan. Add pineapple juices left on the tray to reserved syrup in pan.
- 6Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 27cm round, place over pineapple and tuck in the edges.
- 7Bake tart until pastry is golden and cooked through (25 minutes). Leave in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully invert tart onto a rimmed platter and peel away lining paper.
- 8Reheat reserved syrup mixture in pan over medium heat, stirring until thickened slightly (2 minutes). Drizzle or brush syrup over pineapple and serve tart immediately with whipped cream or ice-cream.