Pear Tarte Tatin
I'll never forget the first time I tried a Tarte Tatin in a tiny Parisian bistro. The deep, amber caramel and the tender, buttery pears felt like the most luxurious thing in the world. I immediately knew I had to recreate that magic in my own Estonian kitchen, especially on a crisp autumn day.
11Ingredients
- 0 For the Pâte Brisée (Pastry)
- 250 g All-purpose flour
- 125 g Cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 5 g Fine sea salt
- 60 ml Ice-cold water
- 0 For the Pear & Caramel Filling
- 1000 g Firm, ripe pears (like Bosc or Anjou)
- 200 g Caster (superfine) sugar
- 115 g Unsalted butter, softened
- 15 ml Juice of half a lemon
- 1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
Instructions
First, make the pastry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cubed cold butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub it into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice-cold water, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Form it into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Peel, halve, and core the pears. Toss them gently with the lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.
In a 23-24 cm (9-10 inch) heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet, melt the 115g of butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the 200g of sugar evenly over the butter and add the vanilla bean seeds. Cook, without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns into a deep amber-colored caramel. This can take 5-8 minutes. Be very watchful to prevent it from burning.
Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully arrange the pear halves, cut-side up, tightly in the skillet. They will shrink as they cook, so pack them in.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry into a circle slightly larger than your skillet. Drape the pastry over the pears and tuck the edges down inside the pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Let the tart rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes – no more, no less.
Place a large serving platter over the skillet. Using oven mitts, very carefully and quickly, invert the skillet to release the tart onto the platter. Be cautious of hot caramel. Serve warm, perhaps with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
Chef's Tip
Cook the pears in the caramel until deeply golden - this is where the magic happens. Flip the tart while still warm but let it rest 5 minutes first for the caramel to settle.
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Pear Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- For the Pâte Brisée (Pastry)
- 250 g All-purpose flour
- 125 g Cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 5 g Fine sea salt
- 60 ml Ice-cold water
- For the Pear & Caramel Filling
- 1000 g Firm, ripe pears (like Bosc or Anjou)
- 200 g Caster (superfine) sugar
- 115 g Unsalted butter, softened
- 15 ml Juice of half a lemon
- 1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
Instructions
- First, make the pastry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cubed cold butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub it into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice-cold water, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Form it into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Peel, halve, and core the pears. Toss them gently with the lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.
- In a 23-24 cm (9-10 inch) heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet, melt the 115g of butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the 200g of sugar evenly over the butter and add the vanilla bean seeds. Cook, without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns into a deep amber-colored caramel. This can take 5-8 minutes. Be very watchful to prevent it from burning.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully arrange the pear halves, cut-side up, tightly in the skillet. They will shrink as they cook, so pack them in.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry into a circle slightly larger than your skillet. Drape the pastry over the pears and tuck the edges down inside the pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Let the tart rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes – no more, no less.
- Place a large serving platter over the skillet. Using oven mitts, very carefully and quickly, invert the skillet to release the tart onto the platter. Be cautious of hot caramel. Serve warm, perhaps with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
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