What is the dessert that instantly takes you back to your childhood? For chef Éric Frechon, it’s this sweet treat that he was already preparing when he was little with his mother…
We all have a dessert that marked our childhood. Our family Sundays. Our snacks at grandma’s. The one whose mere mention is enough to stir up in us a wave of nostalgic memories. It can sometimes be a vanilla rice pudding, sometimes a chocolate fondant, sometimes a Parisian flan.
Obviously, the big names in gastronomy also have theirs. At the head of the Epicure restaurant at the Le Bristol hotel in Paris for 25 years, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France Eric Frechontriple-starred in the Michelin Guide from 2009 to 2024, tells his story through the menu on his Instagram account. “The thin apple tart is my whole childhood… it’s the first recipe that I made with my mother when I was little. It’s my Proust madeleine, and it’s what I love to make for Sunday lunch as a dessert.” he wrote in the caption. Proof that the best things are definitely the simplest…
To unlock the secrets of the recipe, simply follow its real step-by-step instructions. The chef begins by cutting out, using a pastry ring, a disk in the puff pastry he has obtained. “at his baker-pastry chef” (failing this, use store-bought puff pastry) and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. He pricks it with a few strokes of the fork so that it does not develop during cooking. Then, he peels, cores and cuts Golden apples into thin strips, which he arranges harmoniously on his base of dough. You can choose to arrange them “either in a rosette or in an onion row”. He then spreads a few knobs of butter over the fruit, which he sprinkles with powdered sugar and a pinch of vanilla (or vanilla sugar) for a more fragrant result. Finally, he bakes this tart for 40 minutes at 180°C, until the apples are nicely golden.
All that remains is to help yourself, allowing yourself to make a part “a little bit burnt” on the edges. “When it crisps like that, it’s the best!”smiles Éric Frechon mischievously. Now you know absolutely everything.
