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Pastis gascon
Crackling apple pastry
Gascony's crackling apple pastry (pastis gascon, or croustade)
FrenchIn the Gers and the Lot-et-Garonne, grandmothers once stretched pastis dough over the kitchen table until it was thin enough to read a newspaper through, then layered it with apples and butter into a crackling, golden dome. Called pastis in Gascony and croustade in Quercy, it is served at Sunday lunch, weddings and village fêtes. The apples are traditionally soaked in Armagnac, the local brandy; this home version uses filo pastry and gives an alcohol-free soak of apple juice and orange flower water, with Armagnac as the option. Chef's tip: scrunch the top sheets loosely like crumpled silk; the folds turn into the crisp, shattering crown.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the apples
- 4 eating applessuch as Reinette or Cox, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp apple juiceor Armagnac for the traditional version
- 1 tbsp orange flower water
For the pastry
- 10 filo pastry sheetsabout 270 g
- 3 ½ oz unsalted buttermelted
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 4 eating apples with 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp apple juice and 1 tbsp orange flower water in a bowl and leave for 30 minutes, until the slices soften and give off juice.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush a 24 cm tart or cake tin with 3 ½ oz unsalted butter.
Step 3: Lay one sheet of 10 filo pastry sheets in the tin, letting the edges hang over. Brush with butter and sprinkle with a little 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar. Repeat with 5 more sheets, turning each so the overhang goes all round. Keep the rest covered with a damp cloth so it does not crack.
Step 4: Drain the apples (keep the juice) and spread them over the pastry. Fold the overhanging filo back over the fruit and brush with butter.
5 minStep 5: Brush the last 4 sheets with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and scrunch each one loosely into a ruffle. Arrange them over the top to cover the apples. Drizzle over the reserved juice and any remaining butter. Common mistake: pressing the ruffles flat, which bakes into a dense lid instead of a crisp crown.
5 minStep 6: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is deep golden and crisp and the apples are tender when pierced through a gap.
35 minStep 7: Cool for 15 minutes, dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar and serve warm. It is best on the day it is baked.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pastis gascon take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eating apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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