Fort Tryon Tatin

A couple weeks ago, I received a tweet from Chez Us proclaiming that I’d won their cookbook giveaway. A couple days ago, Plenty arrived in the mail, and I’m enthralled.

Of the many vibrant recipes coloring the book, the Surprise Tatin was my immediate favorite. The tatin in the photograph seemed almost unreal, impossible. I never saw anything like it.

I prepared the tatin for a dinner with friends on Sunday, and the dish came together in less than thirty minutes. With a few hours before our guest would arrive, I slid the tart in the refrigerator and went for a run through Fort Tryon Park. Nestled high on a ridge near the northern tip of Manhattan, the 65-acre park once sustained the colossal estates of some of the wealthiest New Yorkers. A lifetime later, the quiet archways still stand, and rusty succulents stretch up the rocky edifices.

The colors and shapes of the park followed me home, and it seemed only fitting to name my version of the dish the Fort Tryon Tatin.

Fort Tryon Tatin
Slightly modified from Plenty.
Serves 2-4 and costs about $12

1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (I used tomatoes dehydrated and frozen from last summer)
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 pound new potatoes or the smallest red potatoes
1 medium diced onion
3 tablespoons of sugar
Salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and thyme seasonings
4-5 ounces of goat or feta cheese
1 puff pastry sheet

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20-25 minutes. Carefully drain and cool. Trim off the tops and bottoms of each potato, and then slice into 1-inch discs. Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes.

Grease a 9-inch cake or pie pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Using a small pan, cook the remaining butter and sugar until caramelized. Quickly pour the caramel into the cake pan and spread to cover bottom. (Don’t burn yourself..) Scatter seasonings around the parchment paper.

Lay the potato slices close together, cut-side down, into the pan. Press onion and sun-dried tomatoes into the gaps between pieces and use any leftover to cover the rest of the tart. Slice and layer the goat or feta cheese evenly over the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with the pastry, and tuck the edges down around the potatoes. Trim away any excess. At this point, the pastry can be chilled for up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees and cook 15-20 minutes more. Remove from oven, gently slide a knife around the rim of the pan. Hold an inverted plate or service dish firmly on top of the pan and carefully/quickly flip. Peel off parchment paper and serve. Pairs well with sauteed winter greens.


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