WHAT’S COOKING: The Tatin sisters’ famous tarte, baked in a copper pot
Let’s go back in time to 1888, where we find ourselves in the kitchen of an inn in France, and there’s something burning in a pot on the stove. Or is it?
In the year 1888, the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, were preparing a feast in their double-storey country hotel in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. The sisters were famous for their delicious country food, and their copper pots hung on the walls of the kitchen, ready to be used for cooking various dishes.
As the sisters worked, Stéphanie, the cook, decided to make a tart. She added butter and sugar to a tart pan and set it aside, continuing with her other tasks. After some time, the kitchen filled with a sweet aroma, and Stéphanie noticed that the apples and sugar were burning.
Undeterred by the burnt pastry, Stéphanie quickly cut a round piece of pastry to fit the top of the copper pan and placed it on the pan, adding a lid. She then placed the pot in the oven, hoping that the heat would cook the pastry quickly. Moments later, the aroma of caramel wafted out of the kitchen, drawing the attention of the guests in the dining room.
Caroline and Stéphanie suspected that the caramel was a result of the burnt tart, but upon lifting the lid, they were amazed to see a perfectly cooked apple tart. The sisters quickly served the tart to their guests, and it became an instant hit. The Tatin sisters' accidental discovery turned into a global sensation, with Maison Tatin becoming a renowned restaurant and their famous caramel tart remaining a symbol of the best in French cuisine.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
