Little French Kitchen's Carrot Tarte Tatin Recipe

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Photo: David Loftus

Carrot Tarte Tatin
Serves 4 to 6 as a starter 

Apples are the traditional choice of topping for a tarte Tatin, but carrots make a delicious savory alternative. Carrots are a staple in every French household, but they are not all the same. In the Landes region of southwest France, a particular type is grown that thrives in sand rather than soil. This makes for a flavorsome and juicy carrot, perfect for a simple dish such as this one where the carrot is the star.

8 to 10 medium carrots (or 5 large, halved lengthwise)
2 tbsp butter
3 sprigs thyme
Good pinch of salt
½ tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
9 oz/250 g puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the carrots if they have thick skins; otherwise, just wash them well and pat dry.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the carrots and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning the carrots so they brown all over. Remove the carrots from the heat, sprinkle with the salt, and stir in the honey and vinegar so that the carrots are well coated. Arrange them in the bottom of the tart pan.

Roll out the puff pastry between two sheets of parchment until it is ¼ inch thick and cut out a disk that is a just a little bigger than the tart pan. Place the pastry on top of the carrots, and tuck in the edges. Cut a small cross in the middle (to let the steam from the carrots escape during cooking).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and golden. Place a large serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip the tarte Tatin onto the plate. Serve while still warm.

Une petite astuce—tip: If you have a tarte Tatin pan or an ovenproof frying pan, you can cook the carrots in that and then tuck the pastry directly over the top.

Excerpted from My Little French Kitchen: Over 100 Recipes from the Mountains, Market Squares, and Shores of France by Rachel Khoo (Chronicle Books, 2014).

More French recipes:
Beef Bourguignon
Chicken Liver Mousse
French Cooking Tricks That Will Simplify Dinner