Jackson Boxer’s caramel‑rich roast apples with toffee sauce
A stripped‑down take on tarte tatin that lets butter, sugar and apples do the heavy lifting.
Autumn on a plate: come in from the fireworks and warm up with this sweet, rich caramelised apple treat
Jackson Boxer, chef/owner of Brunswick House, Vesper and Dove in London and culinary director of Cowley Manor near Cheltenham and the Henrietta in London, offers a simplified version of a tarte tatin that omits the pastry entirely.
Ingredients
6 apples – Braeburn or Discovery
100 g unsalted butter, softened
100 g caster sugar
500 g soured cream, to serve
A few pinches ground cinnamon, to serve
100 g toasted walnuts, to serve
Method
Peel the apples, halve them, then quarter and discard the cores. Spread the pieces on a tray and leave uncovered in the fridge for two hours to dry.
Pre‑heat the oven to 210 °C (190 °C fan) / 410 °F / gas mark 6½. Press the softened butter over the base of an oven‑proof non‑stick pan, ensuring the whole surface is coated, then scatter the caster sugar evenly on top.
Arrange the apple quarters cut‑side up, fanning them if desired. Place the pan over medium heat and let the butter melt, shaking the pan every few minutes, until the sugar melts into a dark caramel – about five to ten minutes.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is brown and bubbling.
Remove the pan, let it rest for ten minutes, then divide the apples among warmed bowls. Top each serving with a generous spoon of soured cream, a dusting of cinnamon and a handful of toasted walnuts.
Drying the fruit first, either in the fridge or in an oven at 80 °C (60 °C fan) for 30 minutes, helps the apples caramelise evenly without turning to mush.
The result is a “beautiful and slightly acidic toffee sauce” that keeps the apples’ bite, according to Boxer.
