a few tablespoons desiccated coconut, optional
Method
To make your caramel bananas:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cut your butter into cubes and
put into a sturdy deep-sided baking tray (roughly 19 x 30cm). Place the
tray on a low heat, let the butter melt, then add the sugar and stir
constantly until completely combined. Continue to cook for about 5
minutes or until the sugar has all dissolved and the mixture is golden
and caramelized. By the time this happens, the mixture will be roasting
hot so be very careful and whatever you do, DON'T be tempted to put your
fingers in the mixture as you'll give yourself a nasty burn.
Meanwhile, peel the bananas, halve them lengthways, and lay them
carefully on top of the golden caramel. Remove from the heat, then
sprinkle over the cinnamon and finely grate over the zest of half your
orange.
To make your pastry topping:
Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour. Rather than
putting your pastry down flat and rolling it out, place it on its side
and roll it from there, as this will give you a lighter, crisper
texture. Roll it out until you have a rectangle shape about the same
size as your tray and about 0.5cm thick. Drape your pastry over your
rolling pin and carefully lay it on the baking tray, gently tucking it
around the bananas to make sure they're well covered with no gaps. Using
a knife or fork, prick the pastry a few times. Place the tray at the
top of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until baked golden.
To serve your tarte Tatin:
When your tarte Tatin is ready, you must turn it out at once or it will
end up sticking to the baking tray. Again, you want to be very careful
and make sure you don't burn yourself on that hot caramel mixture. To
turn the tarte out, cover your hand with a folded tea towel, carefully
hold the tray with a serving plate or board on top and gently turn it
over. Using the tip of a knife, pull a corner of the pastry up to check
if it's all cooked underneath (if not, pop it back into the oven for
another couple of minutes), then ease the whole thing out of the tray.
If using crème fraîche, put it into a bowl, grate over the rest of your
orange zest and stir well. If using vanilla ice cream, sprinkle a few
tablespoons of desiccated coconut on a plate and quickly roll a scoop of
ice cream in it until coated. Serve your tarte Tatin with a dollop of
crème fraîche or coated ice cream and eat immediately!
