Spiced tarte tatin

A magical combination of nutmeg, cloves and the sharp, sweet taste of Pink Lady apples, finished with a toffee-coloured caramel

What you need:

• 2kg Pink Lady apples
• Juice of 2 freshly squeezed lemons
• 125 gms unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 125 gms caster sugar
• 20 cloves, crushed
• 1 nutmeg, finely grated
• 200 gms puff pastry

What you do:

1. Smear the butter over the base and sides of a cold pan and sprinkle over the sugar. Give the pan a shake to even it out, then sprinkle over the cloves and nutmeg.
2. Roll out the puff pastry in to a disc, about 2cm wider than the rim of the pan, and leave to rest in the fridge on greaseproof paper.
3. In a bowl, roll the Pink Lady® apple halves in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Shake off any excess juice, and arrange the pieces in the pan, standing on their sides, in concentric circles, embedding them into the mix. Pack the apples in tightly and put the pan on a fierce heat.
4. Move the pan around on the flame until a deep, rich caramel colour has developed evenly. This process can take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the pan and heat.
5. Leave the pan to cool, and drop the disc of pastry on to the apples, allowing the edge to hang over the sides of the pan. Place the pan in a pre-heated oven (Mark 7, 220 C, 425F) and bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is nicely risen. Remove from the oven and rest for a minute. Turn out onto an inverted plate to find a perfect golden circle of apples. Serve warm, with a bit of double cream or vanilla ice cream.

Handy cook's tip

For best results, use a really heavy pan, preferably in iron or copper, with straight or almost straight sides and about 22-24 centimetres wide.

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