Tarte fine aux pommes normande

Roll the pastry. Roll the chilled pastry to 30 × 24 cm and about 3 mm thick, transfer it to a lined flat baking sheet and dock the centre lightly, leaving a narrow undocked rim. Timing: 8 minutes. Even thickness supports crisp, even baking. Keep the pastry cold so the butter layers remain distinct. The pastry is an even 3 mm thick and lies flat without stretched corners.

Build the apple layer. Peel and core enough apples to obtain 500 g prepared fruit, then slice them 2 mm thick and overlap the slices tightly in one even layer over the pastry. Timing: 12 minutes. A single thin layer distinguishes tarte fine and cooks at the same pace as the pastry. Use the mandoline guard or a cut-resistant glove; keep fingertips away from the blade. The apples form one continuous, evenly overlapped layer with no tall piles.

Butter and sugar the fruit. Brush the apples with 25 g melted butter and scatter 35 g caster sugar evenly over the surface. Timing: 5 minutes. Even coating promotes controlled caramelisation. The butter and sugar are distributed across the apples without pools at the edges.

Bake until crisp. Bake on the fully heated oven shelf until the pastry is deeply crisp underneath and the apple edges are caramelised. Timing: 30 minutes. Heat: 200 °C conventional oven. Temperature: 200 °C. The hot oven sets the laminated pastry before apple juice can soften it. Use dry oven gloves around the hot tray. The pastry underside is dry, crisp and browned, and the apple edges are caramelised without burnt sugar.

Finish with Calvados. Brush the warm apples with 20 ml Calvados, then cool the tart on a rack before cutting. Timing: 15 minutes. Keep off the heat. A short cooling period lets steam escape while the pastry stays crisp. The Calvados is added after baking, so some alcohol remains; keep the tart away from children or others avoiding alcohol. The surface is glossy but not wet, and the tart is firm enough to cut cleanly after 15 minutes.