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1
Crust:
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2
Blend first 3 ingredients in processor 5 seconds.
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3
Add chilled butter and blend until coarse meal forms; add creme fraiche.
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4
Blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form.
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5
Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.
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6
Wrap; chill 1 hour.
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7
Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 11-inch-diameter round.
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8
Slide onto rimless baking sheet, cover, and chill until ready to use, up to 1 day.
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9
Filling:
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10
Boil pomegranate juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to scant 1 cup syrup, about 15 minutes.
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11
DO AHEAD: Pomegranate syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
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12
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400u00b0F
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13
Spread room-temperature butter evenly over bottom and up sides of heavy medium oven-proof skillet (10 inches across top; 8 inches across bottom; 21/4 inches deep).
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14
Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter.
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15
Cook over medium heat without stirring until mixture bubbles all over, about 3 minutes.
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16
Remove from heat.
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17
Stand apple quarters on 1 end around edge of skillet, leaning 1 cut edge against pan side and fitting snugly.
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18
Stand as many apples in center as will fit.
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19
Sprinkle apples with allspice and salt.
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20
Cook apples over medium-high heat without stirring until thick, deep-amber syrup bubbles up, adding any remaining apples as space permits (apples will shrink as they cook), about 20 minutes.
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21
Pour 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup over (mixture will bubble).
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22
Cook until juices thicken again, 4 to 5 minutes (syrup will be deep amber).
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23
Remove from heat.
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24
Using spatula, press apples gently toward center, then down to compact.
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25
Slide crust over apples.
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26
Press crust down around apples at edge of skillet.
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27
Cut 4 slits in top for steam to escape.
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28
Bake tart until crust is brown and juices at edge are thick and dark scarlet in color, 25 to 30 minutes.
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29
Remove skillet from oven; let stand 1 minute.
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30
Place large plate over skillet.
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31
Using oven mitts and holding plate and skillet firmly together, invert tart onto plate.
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32
Carefully lift off skillet.
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33
Return any apples to tart that may be stuck in skillet.
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34
Let cool at least 15 minutes.
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35
Serve tarte Tatin warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and drizzle of remaining pomegranate syrup.