Alex Petit's plum tarte tatin with a vanilla & cinnamon crème fraiche

Method

1. Preheat a fan oven to 190 degrees Celsius
2. In an ovenproof pan, add the sugar and a little water, cook until a golden caramel has formed
3. While the caramel is cooking, roll out the puff pastry and cut a ring larger than the width of the pan used for cooking the tarte tatin
4. When the caramel is lightly brown, add the diced butter and incorporate
5. Drop plum halves in the caramel, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes
6. Turn the plums flesh side down and arrange them neatly
7. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with puff pastry, tucking the edges inside the pan
8. Cut a small circle in the middle of the pastry ring so that steam can evaporate during the cooking process
9. Bake the Tarte Tatin for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown
10. While the tarte is cooking, prepare the crème fraiche
11. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the crème fraiche, cinnamon and icing sugar
12. Cut the vanilla pod in half and with the edge of knife, scrape the beans from the pod and add it to the crème fraiche
13. Mix carefully with a spatula and reserve in the fridge
14. Once the tarte is cooked, let it cool for 5 minutes before flipping to avoid potential burn
15. Flip the tart up side down onto a flat dish larger than the pan used for cooking
16. Pour all the caramel evenly over the tarte and serve with the spiced crème fraiche

Chef's tips:

• Plum ripeness – use slightly under-ripe fruits so that they don't fall apart during the cooking process
• Colour matters - Go for a deep amber colour of caramel. A light caramel will be too sweet, while a dark caramel will be bitter
• Tuck the edges in - Make sure the pastry is well tucked around the plums so that delicious caramel stays in the tarte when turned upside down
• Master’s touch - Try adding a pinch of sea salt to the caramel for contrast and a dash of whiskey to the crème fraiche for extra flavours.