Rich Stein’s apple tart with quince purée

Method

1. Peel, quarter, core and slice the quinces and put them into a wide saucepan with 75g of the sugar and 3-4 tbsp water. Cook gently over a low heat for about 20 minutes until tender, then tip into a bowl and mash to a purée with a fork. Leave to cool. (If you’re making this tart with just apples, cook the 500g apples in the same way as the quinces, but then tip them into a sieve set over a bowl to collect and reserve the juices. Mash to a purée with a fork.)
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out a 30cm circle using a plate as a template. Lift onto a lightly greased baking sheet and prick the pastry here and there with a fork, leaving a 2.5cm border clear around the edge. Spread the fruit purée on top, again leaving the edge clear, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Peel and core the apples and slice them quite thinly. Arrange the slices, overlapping slightly, in circles on top of the fruit purée, then sprinkle them heavily with the remaining sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the edges of the apples are lightly browned.
4. Put the apricot jam into a small pan with 1 tbsp water (or reserved apple cooking juices, if you have them) and warm gently. Press through a sieve into a bowl, then brush generously over the apples. Serve the tart warm or cold, on the day it’s made, with crème fraîche.