This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

10/18/2011
Quince tart Tatin (Tarte Tatin aux coings)   Clay pot 

Ingredients:

1 recipe tart pastry, chilled at least 2 hours
4 medium to large, ripe quinces
3-4 T. unsalted butter
7/8 c. sugar
2 tsp. dried bitter orange peel, available at Persian groceries
Juice of 1 orange
2 T. orange flower water

You must have an Emile Henry tarte Tatin clay pan to make this tart.

Quarter the quinces, peel and core them.  Be careful not to cut yourself; the fruits are very hard.

Heat the Emile Henry Tatin pan over a flame tamer on medium heat.  Melt the butter, add the sugar, orange juice, and orange peel.  Mix well and distribute evenly over the pan.  Arrange the quince quarters rounded side down in the pan.  Don't worry too much about a perfect arrangement; just make sure the pan is well filled.  (You will be manipulating the quince quarters during the cooking process and arrange them prettily at the end.)  As you place the quince in the pan, roll it in the butter-sugar mixture to coat all sides of the fruit.  Jury-rig a lid from, say, a large Creuset dutch oven, covering the pan and reduce the heat to low.  After about 15 minutes, check the quince, lifting them up carefully to check their cooking and caramelization.  Continue cooking gently, covered, checking frequently, for an hour or more.  Baste the uppermost surfaces of the fruit frequently with the syrup in the pan.  Add small amounts (1/4 c. at a time) hot water to the pan to prevent burning.  Quince takes a long time to cook, and won't cook a whole lot more once you put the tart in the oven.  When the fruit offers just the slightest resistance to the point of a knife, and the rounded sides have turned a dark brilliant garnet red, remove
from the heat.  Arrange the quarters prettily in the pan and allow to cool to room temperature.  Up to this point the tart can be prepared several hours in advance.

1-2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 400 F.  Sprinkle the quince evenly with the orange flower water.  Roll out the pastry to slightly larger than the page, fold it in thirds and lay it on top of the fruit.  Unfold, fold the edges under neatly, crimp the edge, and cut 3 slits in the pastry.  Bake for around 45 minutes or until the crust is a rich golden brown.

Let the tart cool 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a platter and serving as soon as possible with a dollop of homemade vanilla or chestnut ice cream.  Prepare to bite into a dream!

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Try some of our past French garden recipes:

Appetizers and small dishes

Basics

Beef, pork, lamb, and veal