Pear Tarte Tatin

Dessert · France classic.

Ingredients

• 8 Pears
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 100g Butter
• 2 Star Anise
• 3 Pods Cardamom
• 1 large Cinnamon
• 2 tbs Brandy
• 500g Puff Pastry

Method

1. Continue cooking — Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve.
2. Cover and cook — If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
3. Fry — Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling.
4. Stir — Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
5. Continue cooking — Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised.
6. Continue cooking — Don’t worry about them burning – they won’t – but you want to caramelise them as much as possible.
7. Continue cooking — Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside.
8. Heat the pan — Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin.
9. Continue cooking — 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.
10. Continue cooking — 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.
11. Continue cooking — Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
12. Continue cooking — Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon’s guide).

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