The first tarte Tatin was accidentally invented by the Tatin sisters in France, when their apple tart somehow went into the oven without its bottom crust. The sisters resourcefully laced the forgotten dough on top instead and let the tart finish baking. Once it was out of the oven, they inverted the tart to cover up their mistake. I’m sure they had no idea of the sensation that their sweet mishap would unleash. Unable to leave well enough alone, pesky chefs like me love to play with variations on the classic caramelized upside-down apple tart. In this summer version, I’ve replaced the apples with plums. The plums give off more juice than apples, which makes working with them a little trickier. To compensate for this, I toss the plums in sugar to help draw out some of their juices and then cook them on the stove with butter and sugar, creating a delicious “plum caramel.”

　　

Ingredients

3 pounds plums or pluots

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

　　1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

　　1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry

　　1 egg, beaten

　　1 cup crème fraîche

　　

Step 1

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits. Toss the fruit with 1/4 cup sugar and let sit for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan (or other heavy-bottomed pan that can go in the oven) over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, add 3/4 cup sugar. Cook about 6 minutes, swirling the pan often, until you have a deep brown caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Drain the plums and discard the liquid (or make a delicious cocktail!). Carefully arrange the plums, cut side down, in tight concentric circles in the pan (they should overlap slightly). Make sure to pack the plums in well, because they will shrink as they cook. The finished tart should be full of fruit.

　　

Step 4

Return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat. Cook the plums in the caramel without stirring for 20 minutes—the fruit will stew and simmer in its own juices. Allow to cool completely (for best results refrigerate for at least 2 hours).

　　

Step 5

When you are ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 375°F and take the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw just enough so that it’s malleable.

　　

Step 6

Cut an 11-inch circle from the pastry, pierce it in a few places with a fork, and place it on top of the plums. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top.

　　

Step 7

Bake the tart 45 to 55 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through. Cool the tart on a rack for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Choose a serving plate that is a few inches larger than the tart. Place the plate on top of the tart and, using two hands and two pot holders, carefully invert the tart onto the plate. You may have to adjust a few pieces of plum if they have fallen out of place.

　　

Step 9

Serve the tart with a bowl of crème fraîche.

　　

Note

Step 10

It’s best to start this dessert early in the day or even a day in advance. It’s not too difficult but there are a few steps that require time. The plums are first macerated for 30 minutes, and, since puff pastry is best when baked from very cold, I like to chill the caramelized plums for at least 2 hours before placing the pastry on top. Bake the tart a few hours before serving: I prefer tarte Tatin room temperature rather than right out of the oven.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)