Yam + Thyme Tarte Tatin

Nov 2018

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.

This year’s Thanksgiving table is going to make room for something a little different than our normal fare – a Yam and Thyme Tarte Tatin. Tarte Tatin is a fancy, French name for an upside-down, single-crust pie. Don’t you prefer the name “Tarte Tatin” over “Upside-Down, Single-Crust Yam Pie”?

Sure, the name may sound fancy, but this recipe is so simple – thanks to those handy frozen sheets of puff pastry dough!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started ::

a 9″-10″ shallow skillet
one frozen puff pastry sheet thawed according to package instructions
2 pounds peeled + sliced (½” thick) yam or sweet potato
brown sugar
fresh thyme
finely diced shallot
butter
ground cinnamon
sea salt
black pepper
corn syrup (optional)

Start off by preheating your oven to 400°. Then, give the yams a head-start by placing the sliced yams into a medium pot of boiling water, allowing the yams to boil for 6 minutes.

Grease with butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) the sides of a 9″-10″ shallow skillet.

While yams are boiling, make a simple brown sugar caramel sauce in the bottom of a 9″-10″ skillet by melting butter and brown sugar together in the prepared skillet. Once the brown sugar is dissolved and bubbly, add thyme leaves, shallots, cinnamon, salt & pepper. (If desired, for extra gooeyness – add 2 T or corn syrup to the caramel mixture).

Gently drain yam slices and arrange atop the brown sugar-thyme syrup. Roll out puff pastry sheet, just enough to smooth out the seams and lay over the top of the arranged yams. Using a sharp knife, cut several ½” venting slits in the puff pastry sheet.

Place the tarte tatin into a preheated oven and bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes, or until center is golden, crisp and puffed.

Once center is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. After the tarte tatin has slightly cooled and sauce has slightly thickened, invert onto a serving platter.

Slice and serve.

This Yam + Thyme Tarte Tatin is a real show-stopper for your Thanksgiving feast! Not only are the colors so reflective of Fall, but there’s a “magic-trick” quality that accompanies the “flip/inversion” step when plating this dish. Thanks to the key step of prepping the dish with non-stick spray and all the butter included in this recipe, the sliced yams are sure to release nicely from the bottom of the pan.

Then there’s the taste – herbed whispers of fresh thyme, paired with a hint of shallot contribute a subtle savory quality that helps to perfectly balance the sweetness of the yams and caramel sauce. While the crisp, buttery puff pastry adds the perfect textural contrast.

Whoever would think that a “yam dish” would outshine the turkey at Thanksgiving dinner?! Well, there’s a first time for everything and with this Yam + Thyme Tarte Tatin – this is bound to be the year!

If you have any questions during your search for the perfect copper sink, farmhouse fireclay sink or granite sink, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, or Instagram for more helpful tips and design ideas.