I am always looking for ways to use chamomile in both sweet and savory dishes. This tarte is one of my favorites. I love the combination of apricots, chamomile, and pistachios. A tarte tatin is always a crowd-pleaser, especially with summer’s delicious fruits, and is super simple to make (especially if you use bought puff pastry!). I love this warm with vanilla gelato, or at room temperature with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Makes one 9-inch tart
INGREDIENTS
12-15 apricots, halved and pitted
150 grams organic cane sugar
2 TB unsalted butter
1 tsp dried chamomile flowers, plus more for garnish
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (or make your own!)
3 strips of candied orange peel, chopped
2 TB raw pistachios (shelled, unsalted)
PROCEDURE
Preheat the oven to 350 Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut out a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the cooking pan.
Make the caramel: In a 9-inch cast iron pan, melt sugar (with a few tablespoons of water) over low to medium heat. Once caramel turns a light amber color (this will take approximately 7-8 minutes), remove the pan from heat, add 1 tsp dried chamomile flowers, and then stir in the butter using a wooden spoon.
Once the butter has melted and incorporated into the caramel, arrange the apricots, skin side down, on the caramel, closing the gaps with pieces of candied orange peel. Leave a bit of space around the apricots to tuck in the puff pastry.
Place the puff pastry on top of the apricots, tucking in the edges around the fruits. Prick the pastry gently a few times with a sausage pricker or a fork.
Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes.
While tart is baking, toast the pistachios in a dry pan, and then chop them roughly with a knife or a nut grinder.
Remove the tart from the oven, and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before inverting onto a serving plate.
Sprinkle with pistachios and additional dried chamomile blossoms. Serve warm with vanilla gelato, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche.
