How to cook the perfect French apple tart | Felicity Cloake

A properly appley bake with just the right balance of gooeyness and crunch'If you look closely," wrote the late, lamented Lyonnais chef Paul Bocuse, "France is not hexagonal but round, like a tart" - proof that, if you're a culinary genius, you can say just about anything and people will lap it up. Bocuse is right, however, that, despite its obviously polygonal shape, France is the home of perfect, and often perfectly round, tarts: even the meanest bakery seems to turn out flawless pastry cases full of creme pat and seasonal fruit.Unlike the tarte tatin, which must be served hot from the oven, the classic patissier's tart can be made well in advance: ideal for impressing guests, or just allowing you to drink a little too much over Sunday lunch and still produce dessert afterwards. And, like all the best showstopper dishes, it's surprisingly easy to execute. Not that you need to tell anyone that. Continue reading...