Tarte Tatin D’orleans

FILLING
1/4 c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c Sugar
12 md Red Delicious apples,
-peeled, quartered, cored
Vanilla ice cream (opt)

FOR CRUST: Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add 10 tablespoons
room temperature butter and cut in, using pastry blender or fingers,
until mixture resembles coarse meal. Using for, stir in water. Knead
mixture in bowl gently with fingertips just until smooth dough forms.
Shape into rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Cut 10 tablespoons chilled butter into 9 equal pieces. Arrange pieces
side by side on waxed paper, forming square. Cover with second sheet
of waxed paper. Pound butter several times with rolling pin to make
butter more pliable. Peel off waxed apper. Break into small pieces.

Roll out dough on floured surface to 9×5 inch rectangle. Turn so that
1 short side faces you. Arrange butter pieces evenly over low 6
inches of dough. Fold unbuttered 3 inches of dough over half of
buttered dough. Fold remaining 3 inches of buttered dough over,
folding as for letter. Roll out to 12×18-inch rectangle. Fold short
sides over to meetin in center, then fold in half in same direction,
forming approximately 12×4 1/2-inch rectangle. Repeat rolling to
12×18-inch rectangle and folding to 12×4 1/2-inch rectangle. Wrap in
plastic; chill. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

FOR FILLING: Melt butter in heavy ovenproof 10-inch skillet
(preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir
until sugar melts and mixture is golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat.

Arrange half of apples, rounded side down, in concentric circles in
skillet. Place remaining apples, cut side down, atop first layer of
apples. Cover skillet. Simmer over low heat until apples are almost
tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to
medium-low; simmer until apples are very tender and liquid is reduced
to 1/4 cup syrup on bottom of pan, pressing apples down into liquid
occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, prehat oven to 400F. Cut dough in half. Let 1 piece stand
at room temperature until slightly softened, about 15 minutes.
(Freeze second piece of dough for another use.) Roll out dough to
12-inch-diameter round.

Place dough atop hot apples in skillet. Trim edge, leaving generous
1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang down tightly around apples. Cut
several slits in dough to allow steam to escape.

Bake tart until crust is golden, about 45 minutes. Let cool 5
minutes. Run small knife around edge of skillet to loosen tart. Place
large platter over skillet. Using oven mitts, grasp platter and
skillet and invert, letting tart settle onto platter. Carefully lift
off skillet. Place any apples still in skillet on tart. Cool
slightly; serve warm with ice cream, if desired.