I’d never tasted Pêches Blanches—White Peaches—until Philippe introduced me to them one golden summer afternoon at a café terrace in Paris. He handed me a perfectly ripe peach, its pale pinkish-white skin glowing in the sunlight, and told me to take a bite. The moment I did, I understood why he had insisted. The juice ran down my fingers as the intensely sweet, floral flavor filled my mouth. It was unlike any peach I had ever tasted before—delicate, yet deeply fragrant, as if infused with honey and a hint of wild roses. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Now, whenever I shop at the fruit stands on rue Cler, I make a beeline for les blanches, carefully selecting the ones that feel just right—firm yet yielding to the touch, their subtle perfume a promise of their exquisite taste. This week, the Quatre Saisons stand on the corner of rue Cler and rue de Grenelle had a special on them, and I simply couldn’t resist. I bought three kilos, more than enough to enjoy fresh, but I knew I wanted to do something special with them. After some thought, I decided on a Peach Tarte Tatin.
Tarte Tatin is a classic French upside-down caramelized tart, traditionally made with apples, but I imagined the peaches would bring a wonderful softness and extra sweetness to the dish. My peaches were perfectly ripe, almost bursting with juice, so I adjusted my method slightly. Instead of cooking the fruit beforehand, as you would with firmer apples, I caramelized the sugar first, then nestled the peaches into the pan, letting their natural juices blend into the rich, golden caramel. I covered them with a buttery pastry crust and baked the tart until the crust turned crisp and golden brown.
The result was divine—tender, syrupy peaches melting into the caramel, all held together by the flaky, buttery pastry. When I flipped it out of the pan, the glossy fruit glistened in the soft afternoon light, its sweet scent filling my kitchen. Served warm with a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was pure heaven on a plate.
Here’s a simple yet delicious recipe so you can try it yourself…
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 medium (about 3 3/4 pounds) slightly ripe peaches: peel, remove pit and cut in half
Frozen puff pastry crust, thawed
Gently cook peaches in water/sugar/lemon mixture
• Heat the lemon juice, 1 cup sugar (I used ¾ C because the peaches were so sweet) and 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the mixture boils.
• Place the peaches in the skillet, pitted side down and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully turn peaches over; cook 8 to 12 minutes longer until syrup is caramelized and thickened. (If peaches are really ripe, reduce cooking time. I didn’t cook the peaches at all because they were very ripe.)
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• Pour syrup into casserole and place peaches pit side up. Place pastry on top of peaches, fold dough under to form a rim around edge of peaches. Cut 4 to 6 small slits in dough so steam can escape. Bake for approximately 25 minutes — until crust is golden.
• When tart is done, place large platter over top of tart. Quickly turn skillet upside down on the serving plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream!
Bon Jour Madelyn! I made your peach tarte tatin and added a few fresh figs. It was awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. We’re off to the Luna apt in Sorrento in three weeks. And hope to come back to Paris in 2013. Merci!
Hi Nancy, So nice to hear from you! The peach and fig tarte tatin must have been delicious. I will try that next time! Have a fabulous stay in Sorrento with Italy Perfect – that’s a beautiful apartment! And we’ll see you in Paris next year!