Monday, January 19, 2009

Open-Faced Apple Tart

I’ve heard from a few sources that the best tart crust is found in the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, so I gave it a try with the open-faced apple tart which is also in the book. First, I should explain that this book contains a lot of insightful information with each recipe. There are introductions explaining reasons behind the ingredients and techniques and very detailed instructions. It’s clear that Judy Rodgers really cares about food and is keenly interested in passing on her expertise. There’s a lot to learn in this book, and I enjoy re-reading sections each time I use it.

For the basic rich tart dough, Rodgers begins by explaining her use of salted butter. Salted butter? Yes. She prefers a salted butter with 90 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon for the crispy pastry and rich flavor it produces. I used Kerrygold pure Irish butter, because I’m now infatuated with Irish butter, and it contains 105 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. Close enough. This basic tart dough involves working the butter and flour together with no water. This technique is simple but different from other recipes I’ve followed. The butter is cut into ¼ inch pieces and flipped in the flour to coat. Then, the pieces of butter are pinched with your fingers to make shards and cupped shapes. You continue working the butter and flour with your fingers until the butter breaks apart allowing it all to come together to form a dough. This happened very easily, and the dough was chilled in plastic to let the glutens relax. I left the dough between sheets of plastic wrap, rolled it out without adding more flour, fit it into a tart pan, and set it in the freezer for about an hour.

To fill the tart, cored, halved apples were thinly sliced cross-wise. I used organic Galas and overlapped the slices in a spiral shape. Then, salt makes another appearance. The surface was sprinkled with a couple of pinches of salt to help bring out the fruit’s flavor, Rodgers explains. Sugar was sprinkled over as well. The tart baked for 40 minutes, and I brushed on a honey glaze when it was cool.

The simpler the ingredient list, the more perfect each item needs to be. The apples were crisp and sweet, and the delicious, salted butter worked its magic. The crust was a little thin, so I’ll use a smaller pan next time, but that was my only complaint. The tart tasted of apply apples and buttery butter which may sound silly but that’s the best I can do. The flavors are very straightforward but magnified and better than ever. Try salted butter and try adding a pinch or two of salt over apples in this tart, and enjoy the really surprisingly elevated flavors that result.



14 comments:

  1. The tart looks wonderful! I love Kerrygold irish butter too - we've discovered a taste for it during our visit to Ireland this summer.

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  2. Our favorite thing about fruit tarts is symmetry and design. Your apples are so perfectly sliced!

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  3. I can see you painstakingly placed every apple slice thoughtfully in your pie and it came out perfect! It's so worth it to go through all the trouble sometime.

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  4. this looks like the best tart I have ever seen - it is the best tart I have ever seen.

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  5. that is just gorgeous. i love that you left the skin on - the colors are just beautiful!

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  6. I love it that you said apply apples and buttery butter. It seems like in those words you summed up the essence of it--some ingredients are good enough on their own and get better with the lightest touch. Beautiful photos as always.

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  7. It's beautiful ... and the apple slices are all consistently cut and placed perfectly :D

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  8. oh, how glorious! this looks like the perfect use for my brand spankin' new mandoline!

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  9. Apply apples and buttery butter, love it! Or, as they say here, the apples and butter tasted of themselves.

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  10. Lisa, can you believe I have never made anything from my Zuni Cafe Cookbook?
    I bought it for their famous roast chicken salad!
    Your tart is beautiful!

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  11. Gorgeous presentation! I like the color from the unpeeled apples.

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  12. I absolutely love a sprinkle of salt on apples - it's how I used to eat them as a kid. And the good butter is another obsession of mine (I use a Danish cultured variety that is TO DIE).

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  13. I have this cookbook but I haven't tried this recipe yet. Sounds perfect. You make it look so easy.

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