Buttery Caramel and Flaky Pastry Make This Ginger-Poached Quince Tarte Tatin Irresistible

If you’re looking for a delightful alternative to traditional pies, pastry chef Joanne Chang’s ginger poached quince tarte tatin with cinnamon crème fraîche will definitely fit the bill. Check out how to make it below.

How to Make It

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ripe quince (4 to 5 fruit), peeled, cored, and quartered lengthwise
• 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 14 oz package of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 6 tbsp of unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 8 oz container crème fraîche
• 6 1/2 cups of water, divided
• 3 cups of granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 tsp of kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. 1. Boil 6 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, and chopped ginger in a large pot, until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the quinces. Maintain a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quinces are tender but not mushy, approximately 25 minutes to one hour. Allow the poached quinces to cool in the syrup until warm, for about one hour.
   2. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the thawed puff pastry to a thin 1/8-inch thickness, creating a delicate 10-inch round. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan with butter. Drape the puff pastry over the poached quinces.
   3. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, leaving it undisturbed until it begins to brown around the pan’s edges, approximately 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, swirling the pan often until the caramel turns dark amber. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and salt, and immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan, ensuring an even coating.
   4. Drain the poached quinces. Arrange the quinces, cut side up, tightly packed in the caramel-coated baking pan. Place the rolled-out puff pastry over the quinces. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry reaches a deep golden brown color, approximately one hour.
   5. Whisk together crème fraîche and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Carefully invert the quince tarte onto a rimmed platter. Serve warm, generously topped with the cinnamon-kissed crème fraîche.

Tips and Tricks

If you’re struggling to find quince, try looking in Middle Eastern or Asian grocery stores. You want ones that have smooth yellow skin. How long it takes the quince to get soft in the poaching liquid depends on how ripe the ones you bought are, so make sure you pay attention to the fruit while preparing the dish.

When it comes to the puff pastry, you also need to consider that the best way to thaw it is overnight in the refrigerator, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to thaw it before you start cooking!