Tarte Tatin with rough puff pastry

Shave off both ends of each apple, peel, scoop out the seeds and centre of the core with a melon baller and slice out any remaining core.

Stand the apples up in the skillet; add brandy, one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.

Crimp foil tightly around the skillet for as airtight a seal as possible and roast at 275, checking after about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes; very fresh firm apples take longer, cold-stored supermarket apples less.

Freeze half the butter about 10 minutes so it is firm but not frozen solid; slice the other half crosswise as thinly as possible and refrigerate.

Toss together the flour, kosher salt and sugar.

Coat the frozen butter in flour and grate it on a box grater into the bowl, working quickly; toss the shreds to coat in flour.

Add the butter slices without breaking them up.

Add a quarter cup of ice water, tossing with a fork, then with the hands, gently and quickly, until it starts to clump.

Turn onto plastic and gently knead together; bring the dry parts left in the bowl together with a bit more ice water, adding no more than needed.

Flatten into a square, forcing the shape with the rolling pin, and chill at least two hours.

Beat the chilled pastry with the rolling pin to make the butter pliable, roll out with a little flour, turning it so it does not stick.

Letter fold: fold the bottom third up and the top third over; rotate 90 degrees, roll out and fold again; chill again before using.

Check the apples; slightly overcooked apples still make a good tarte tatin, and any that collapse can be cooked down into compote.

Refrigerate the apples so they are cold for assembly.

Reduce the apple roasting juices in the skillet a minute or two until thickened, with larger, slower bubbles; strain and let cool into a glaze.

Rinse the skillet. Make a dry caramel: melt a couple of tablespoons of sugar in an even layer, sprinkling in more where it melts, stirring occasionally until deep amber, very fluid and releasing wisps of smoke.

Turn off the heat; add the butter a little at a time, then the kosher salt and apple cider vinegar; let the caramel settle and harden.

Roll half the rough puff into a circle about an eighth of an inch thick, about 12 inches across; cut around an upturned 10 inch plate leaving a half-inch border.

Dock the pastry so steam can escape and refrigerate it to rest.

Arrange the cold apples rounded side down on the hardened caramel.

Lay the pastry on top and use a spoon to tuck its edge between the apples and the side of the skillet.

Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes for the initial puff, then at 350 until the pastry is golden all over and dark caramel bubbles around the sides.

Rest 5 to 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack over the sink; scrape any stuck apple back into place.

While still warm, glaze the apples with a dabbing motion rather than brushing; let cool before cutting so the pastry firms up.