Cinnamon, Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin

STEP 1: MAKE THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY

Combine the plain flour and fine salt in a large bowl. Rub in a quarter of the very cold cubed butter until the mixture looks sandy, then add the remaining butter in visible cubes and do not rub these in. Add the lemon juice and just enough ice-cold water to bring it to a rough, streaky dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

STEP 2: LAMINATE AND REST

Roll the dough to a long rectangle, fold it in three and turn it 90 degrees. Repeat four times, chilling for 20 minutes between every second turn. Rest the finished block for at least 1 hour, then roll it to a 28 cm round, 4 mm thick, prick it lightly and chill it flat on a tray until needed. Rolling thicker than a lining pastry lets it hold the fruit when the tart is inverted.

STEP 3: PREPARE THE FRUIT

Peel, core and quarter the apples and pears, cutting the pear quarters slightly thicker than the apple. Toss everything with the lemon juice and 1 tsp of the ground cinnamon. Colour the pears alone in a dry hot pan for 2 minutes a side to drive off surface moisture, then set them aside.

STEP 4: START THE CARAMEL

Combine the caster sugar, water and lemon juice (or cream of tartar) in a 25 cm heavy stainless ovenproof frying pan. Stir over a medium heat only until the sugar has dissolved, then stop stirring completely. Brush any stray grains from the pan wall with a wet pastry brush. Avoid a non-stick pan, which gives the syrup places to crystallise.

STEP 5: TAKE IT TO DEEP AMBER

Boil undisturbed, swirling the pan gently if it colours unevenly. Do not stir and do not scrape. Continue past pale gold and past golden to a deep amber, about 180C on a sugar thermometer, or the colour of an old copper penny. Stopping early leaves a pale caramel with no depth of flavour.

STEP 6: BUTTER AND SPICE THE CARAMEL

Off the heat, whisk in the cubed butter and the remaining 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Add the cinnamon stick, let it infuse for 3 minutes, then lift it out and discard it.

STEP 7: ASSEMBLE THE TART

Heat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / 400F. Arrange the fruit rounded side down in the hot caramel, packed tight in concentric circles with apples and pears alternating. Return the pan to a medium heat for 8 minutes so the fruit begins to soften and take on the caramel.

STEP 8: TOP WITH PASTRY

Lay the chilled pastry round over the fruit and tuck the edge down inside the pan wall with the back of a spoon. Cut two small vents in the centre.

STEP 9: BAKE UNTIL DEEP GOLDEN

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, judging by colour rather than the clock: deep golden brown across the whole surface, with the tucked edges visibly crisped. At 30 minutes, lift one edge with a palette knife and check that the underside of the pastry is coloured and dry rather than blond and damp. If it is damp, give it a further 8 minutes.

STEP 10: REST AND INVERT

Rest the tart for exactly 5 minutes. Any longer and the caramel sets; any shorter and the fruit slides. Run a knife around the edge, place a serving plate over the pan and invert in one confident movement. Replace any fruit that stays behind and serve warm with creme fraiche.