Masterchef UK Professionals
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Caramelised Apple Tarte Tatin
Caramelised Apple Tarte Tatin with Rough Puff Pastry, Whipped Creme Fraiche, Brandy Snaps, Honey Baked Crispy Camembert, White Chocolate Crumb, Apple Pickled in Cider, and Apple Sorbet with Calvados
Georgia cooked a Normandy-inspired dessert as her signature dish, drawing on 14 years of growing up in the Calvados region of Normandy, famous for its apples, cider, and cheeses. She made a caramelised apple tarte tatin from scratch using a mix of Braeburn and Bramley apples for a balance of sweetness and sharpness against the caramel. She made rough puff pastry by hand, rolling it out several times to create flaky layers - a quicker method than full puff pastry.
{Georgia}: 'I grew up in Normandy, and Calvados, the region where I grew up, is home to many famous French cheeses. Calvados, obviously, apples, cider, and it was actually my dad that said, you can not take them to Normandy without putting a little bit of camembert on there.'
{Georgia}: 'I hope you like a bit of cheese with your apple.' She also served whipped creme fraiche, fresh brandy snaps, apple pickled in cider, a white chocolate crumb, crispy honey baked camembert, and a palate-cleansing apple sorbet with calvados poured over the top.
{Georgia}: 'If I have only got one round, I want to do something that is meaningful and that I can be proud of.' She acknowledged wanting more colour on the pastry but ran out of time.
{Georgia}: 'I am just so happy that they got to see what Normandy is all about for me.'
{Matt}: 'This is the star. Beautifully made tarte tatin. You have used a mix of apples. You have got the Braeburn and Bramley. So there is some sharpness in this to deal with the caramel. But I do not think, for me, camembert has any business anywhere near my tarte tatin. It is chewy, and I have just pushed it to the side.'
{Marcus}: 'The apple sorbet with the calvados over the top is stunning. There is a real hit of apple in there. It sits so well with that calvados. It is a real wow factor. I really like that. Well done.'
{Monica}: 'I have to say, I do feel like I have just been part of Normandy. I think it is delicious in every way. And to come in here and make fresh pastry, rough puff from scratch is very brave. And even to put cheese on it with a bit of honey. Never thought I would say I would like that. I think you have absolutely nailed this.' Deliberation:
{Marcus}: 'Georgia really took to heart the flavours of Normandy. The tarte tatin was beautiful. Apple sorbet. The calvados over the top. Utterly delicious.'
{Monica}: 'Very rare you get to see a chef do a fresh rough puff pastry for the first dish.'
{Matt}: 'That is admirable. But the camembert on my plate was quite chewy, and I did not think it was necessary to be on there.'
RESULT: Quarter-finalist.
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