Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup cold rendered pork fat
- 4-5 tablespoons cold water
- 1½ pounds apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Preparation
MAKE THE CRUST
1. Whisk together the flour and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Work the cold lard into the flour with a rubber spatula, smearing and combining the lard and flour until the fat is mostly combined but still has some pea-sized lumps. (Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse together the ingredients.) Stir in 4 tablespoons water with a fork, then squeeze a small handful of the dough; if it is crumbly, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon water.
2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Smear the dough with the palm of your hand across the work surface 3 or 4 times so that it comes together. Pat the dough into a round, then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
MAKE THE FILLING
1. Combine the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, bitters and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are slightly softened and mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin into a large round. Using a small plate or cookie cutter, cut out 6 (5-inch) rounds. Transfer the rounds to the lined baking sheet. Divide the filling evenly between the rounds, mounding it in the center of each piece of dough. Fold the edge of the dough over the filling, overlapping it as needed. Brush the edge of the dough with some of the egg wash then sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Repeat with the remaining tarts. Chill the filled tarts for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Bake the tarts until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. Let the tarts cool completely on a rack before serving.
About this recipe
Excerpted from Field & Feast: Sublime Food from a Brave New Farm by Dean Carlson, with Ian Knauer and Andrew Wood. Photographs by Guy Ambrosino. © Burgess Lea Press 2016, Quarto Publishing Group.