Award-Winning Pastry Chef Reveals Secrets to Perfect Crispy, Caramelized Tarte Tatin!

Being named Pastry Chef of the Year gives one certain liberties with tradition. In the first episode of the 2024 Best Pastry Chef competition, Chef Pierre-Jean Quinonero truly impressed. He reimagined a beloved dessert, cherished by the French for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich caramel flavor—the tarte tatin. Rest assured, the sisters who originated this recipe would be far from turning in their graves. Stephanie and Caroline Tatin would likely be in awe of what he calls a “caramelized apple gem.” This isn’t Chef Quinonero’s first foray into reinventing classics. From custard pies to Paris-Brest, and the traditional king cake, everything he touches undergoes a delightful transformation—this famed apple tart included. Once again, his magic touch transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary!

For this three-star tarte tatin, forget about using puff, shortcrust, or even sweet crust pastry. The 2024 Pastry Chef of the Year has his own secret to making the dessert crispy, tender, and lighter on the palate. This ingredient, also found in apple croustades, pairs exceptionally well with apples. You might have guessed it—Pierre-Jean Quinonero opts for a base made of phyllo dough. Ready to give it a shot? On your marks, get set… bake!

• 5-6 Pink Lady apples
• 400 g of sugar
• 90 g of margarine
• 4 sheets of phyllo dough
• 50 g of butter
• Cinnamon, powdered vanilla

1. Start by making a dry caramel. Slowly melt the sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Chef’s tip: Ensure each batch of sugar has melted before adding more. Add a vanilla pod and the margarine to your caramel. Set aside 200 g of the caramel.

2. Pour 150 g of caramel into the bottom of a 14 cm diameter silicone mold. Add the raw, chopped apples over the caramel, then drizzle with the remaining 50 g of caramel.

3. Cover the mold with aluminum foil pricked in a few places, and place it in a baking dish in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C, then press down slightly on the apples to release the caramel. Cook for another 15 minutes. Finally, remove the foil and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. Press the apples again, then place the mold in the freezer.

4. Break the reserved caramel into pieces and blend it with some cinnamon and powdered vanilla.

5. To create the tart’s base, cut the phyllo sheets in half, then brush them with melted butter. Sprinkle them with the caramel powder. Place a phyllo sheet in the center, and using a 14 cm diameter circle as a guide, crinkle your sheets around the center.

6. Bake at 170°C for 12 minutes. Remove the circle mold at the end of baking. Your “nest” is now ready. Once cooled, place your caramelized apples into this base.

And there you have it, after a few slightly technical steps, you’ve created a “gem of caramelized apples in a phyllo dough setting.” You’re now (almost) ready to apply for the next season of the Best Pastry Chef!