Green Gooseberry ‘Tatin’ with Elderflower Cream
I’ve used a bit of poetic licence here when I use the word tatin, but everybody loves this upside down tart recipe which works well with all kinds of fruit, plums, peaches, apricots, greengages… Of course this is best when the green gooseberries and elderflower are in season and fresh, but we’ve also made it very successfully with frozen gooseberries in winter.
Serves 10-12
Use organic ingredients where possible
175g (6oz) sugar
125ml (4 1/2fl oz) water
450g (1lb) fat green gooseberries
150g (5oz) soft butter
150g (5oz) castor sugar or 110g (4oz) castor sugar and 2 tablespoons elderflower cordial
200g (7oz) self-raising flour
3 eggs, free range and organic
To Serve
600ml (1 pint) softly whipped cream
4 tablespoon elderflower cordial
1 x 25.5cm (10 inch) sauté pan or a cast-iron frying pan.
Preheat oven to 160c/325F/Gas Mark 3
Top and tail the gooseberries.
Put the sugar and water into the sauté pan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until the sugar caramelizes to a pale golden brown. Remove from the heat.
Scatter the gooseberries in a single layer over the caramel.
Put the butter, sugar (and elderflower if using) and flour into the bowl of a food processor. Whizz for a second or two, add the eggs and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. Spoon over the gooseberries, spread gently in as even a layer as possible.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately one hour. The centre should be firm to the touch and the edges slightly shrunk from the sides of the pan. Allow to rest in the pan for 4-5 minutes before turning out. Serve with softly whipped elderflower cream or crème fraiche.
To make the elderflower cream,fold the elderflower cordial into the softly whipped cream to taste.
