The pistachios used in this recipe aren’t traditional at all but since Thanksgiving is not only the commemoration of that first meal but also a meal shared with family and friends in gratitude for everything received in the course of the year so spoil them this year with this unusual recipe – it’s  perfect for your Thanksgiving meal and really worth trying. The first tarte tatin was, accidentally, created by Stéphanie Tatin who, with her sister, Caroline, ran the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France in 1898. One day Stéphanie was so overworked that, while making a traditional apple pie, she left the apples cooking

in butter and sugar on top of the stove for too long. She smelt something burning, rushed to the stove and desperate to rescue the cake, put the pastry base on top of the apples, finishing it by putting the whole pan in the oven. Once the upside down tart was turned out, it smelled delicious and her guests loved it. In time it became a signature dish at the Hotel Tatin and eventually became famous – so famous, in fact, that Louis Vaudable put in on the menu at Maxims in Paris. Today it’s world famous and made from a variety of fruit – however, this one made with sweet potato is quite unusual and we’re sure your family will love it. If you don’t have tatin pans, use small flat oven proof frying pans.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 170 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100g butter
• 1 extra large free-range egg
• 2 tbsp ice cold water
• A pinch of salt

Filling

• 50 g butter
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, chopped
• 50 g pistachio nuts
• 50g soft brown sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200 C.
• Put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
• Break the egg into the processor, add the water and the salt and process again until the mixture becomes a dough.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to the thickness of about 2 mm, cut out two circles the same size as two small tatin pans and set aside.
• For the filling, divide the butter between the two pans and place over a medium heat.
• Add the sweet potato and cook for 3-4 minutes and then add the nuts and sprinkle over the sugar.
• Place a circle of pastry over each pan and press down around the edges to seal in the filling.
• Transfer to the oven and bake until golden-brown.
• To serve, carefully turn the tarts out onto serving plates.