Apple charlotte with thyme custard

The really good qualities that come out of an apple are needed for this dish, because if it’s got a poor tasting apple it’s never going to work. Apple Charlotte was actually named after Queen Charlotte, and it’s been around since about the 1800s. And there’s two Apple Charlottes. There’s either Charlotte Russe, which is traditionally set - the French have that one -  whereas us British have really kept to our tradition, with the Apple Charlotte being a hot dessert lined with bread.