8 oz Caster sugar
4 fl Water
3 1/2 oz Slightly salted butter
12 Large; firm, under-ripe
; pears, peeled and
; cored, cut into
; quarters
2 8 oz blocks fresh puff
-pastry; (good quality
-frozen
; will be fine),
Rolled out 1/4 inch thick
In a clean heavy-based frying pan, dissolve the sugar and a quarter of the
water over a low heat and then turn up the flame to high to caramelise the
sugar, adding the remaining water when the sugar begins to turn to caramel
~ the sugar will start to turn browner with that distinctive toffee aroma.
Don’t overcook the sugar, otherwise it will turn blackish and bitter, in
which case you will have to throw it away and start again!
Nearing the ‘toffee-like’ caramel spot, add the butter in small pieces and
stir it in. Arrange the quarters of pear in the pan in a circle with the
‘tops’ pointing inwards. Continue to cook the fruits, browning them on a
medium high heat, in the caramel for about 5-10 minutes, until cooked but
not mushy.
Take the pan off the heat and place a disc of pastry (cut 1 inch wider than
the pan diameter and previously chilled in the freezer for at least 10
minutes) over the pears. Carefully tuck in the flap of spare pastry under
the pears.
Place in a hot preheated oven at 200C/400F/gas 6 for about 10-12 minutes,
until the pastry has risen and is baked golden brown. Remove the pan,
taking care to use a thick heat-insulating cloth to protect your hands, and
allow to rest for 1-2 minutes. Loosen the edge of the pastry with a sharp
knife. With a large retaining plate on top of the tart, upturn the pan and
allow the tart to flip over on to the plate so that the fruit is now
visible as the top of the tart.
The pears should have a brown colouration where they have been cooking in
the sauce, which should be sticky and cover the entire surface generously.
Don’t worry if any pears come unstuck on the pan – simply take them off
with a palette knife and ‘glue them’ in place again.
Yields
1 servings