Look up any recipe for tarte tatin, and you’ll notice that they all start the same way: with peeling the apples. Jacques Pépin‘s recipe, on the other hand, is a little different. Instead, as he demonstrated in an episode of “Essential Pépin” (via YouTube), he cores the apples, but leaves the skin on. Though he joked that he chooses to do this because he’s lazy, he clarified in his cookbook “Jacques Pépin Celebrates” (via KQED), that leaving the apple unpeeled improves the texture of the dessert. “I cook the apples with the skins on to give them a crustier, chewier texture,” he wrote.
In the episode, he also mentioned that he stays away from Macintosh, Macoun, and Stayman apples because they’re too soft and make for a mushy tarte tatin. To further improve the texture, aside from using the right apples, Pépin adds almonds and apricots. The resulting pastry is a tasty twist on the original, best served with rum-flavored whipped cream.
