Ainsley Harriott's Banana Tarte Tatin with Spiced Rum Cream
A play on the traditional Tarte Tatin but with a Caribbean twist
Equipment
- 1 Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For Banana Tarte Tatin
- 6 large bananas
- ½ orange juice of
- ¼ tsp allspice ground
- 175 g golden caster sugar or turbino sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter cubed
- 225 g ready-rolled puff pastry
- plain flour for dusting
For the Spiced Rum Cream
- 200 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 splash dark rum
- ½ tsp nutmeg grated
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
- Meanwhile, peel the bananas, cut into thick slices, place in a bowl and toss in half of the orange juice and the allspice. Set aside.
- In a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan, without stirring, gently heat the sugar over a low heat until dissolved and then turn the heat up to medium–high and cook for 1–2 minutes until the sugar turns a golden caramel colour. If necessary, gently move the pan in a circular motion but do not stir. Remove from the heat. Gradually add the cubed butter, stirring to combine, until the mixture looks like a thick, glossy caramel.
- Place the cut bananas in the pan in a circle nestled into the caramel.
- Open out the pastry on a lightly dusted work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle just bigger than the frying pan and about 2½cm thick. Place the pastry on top of the pan and roughly tuck in the edges with a fork (so that when the tarte is turned out, it will hold in the caramel).
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the spiced rum cream. Whisk the double cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form, then add the rum, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest, and whisk gently until combined.
- Remove the tarte from the oven and let rest for no more than 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a blunt knife. Place a large plate on top of the pan and, in one swift movement, invert the tarte onto the plate (reshape if you have to). Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of the spiced rum cream.
Notes
Work quickly in getting the tarte flipped onto the plate so that it doesn't stick to the cast iron pan.
Whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH THE HOT CARAMEL.
Don't be like us.