Pear Tarte Tatin
 Total Time |
|---|
| 60 minutes |
Ingredients
- 8 pears
100 g sugar
100 g butter
2 star anise
3 pods cardamom
1 large cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp brandy
500 g all-butter puff pastry
Cookware
- 1 ovenproof frying pan
- 1 plate
Instructions
Step 1
Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve. If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
Step 2
Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon stick into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling. Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelizes to a toffee color.
Step 3
Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelized. Don’t worry about them burning – they won’t – but you want to caramelize them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside.
Step 4
Heat oven to 200°C / fan 180°C (350°F) / gas 6. Roll the all-butter puff pastry out to the thickness of 3 mm (1/8 in). Using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle, then press the edges of the circle of pastry to thin them out.
Step 5
When the pears have cooled slightly, arrange them in the pan, cut side up, in a floral shape, with the pears around the edge pointing inwards. Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the center, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
Step 6
Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon’s guide). Pierce the pastry a few times, then bake for 15 minutes. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off at this stage (see guide). Reduce oven to 180°C / fan 160°C (325°F) / gas 4 and bake for 15 minutes more until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 minutes, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish.
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