Poached Pear Tarte Tatin

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 bottle (750ml) dry rosé

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 6 small firm, but ripe, pears (Bartlett or Buerre Bosc Pears)

• 1 vanilla bean, split with seeds scraped

• 6 Cardamom pods, bruised

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Pinch salt

• 375g sheet puff pastry (I used Careme brand), defrosted

• Toasted pistachios, roughly chopped

• Vanilla custard or vanilla bean ice cream, to serve

METHOD:

1. Pour the rosé into a large saucepan with the vanilla bean and seeds, cardamom pods and caster sugar. Heat to a simmer while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Peel the pears, leaving the stalk attached. Halve and core the pears. Place them in the wine mixture and cover with a circle of baking paper. Leave to simmer very gently for 25 minutes or until pears are tender, turning them over occasionally so that they colour evenly.

3. Remove the pears from the rose mixture and set aside then remove the vanilla bean and cardamom pods from the mixture and discard. Then bring the liquid to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until it reduces to down to 3/4 cup of syrup. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and salt.

4. Preheat oven to 190°C .

5. Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup In the base of a cast iron pan, or pie dish, and top with the poached pears, arranging them in a nice pattern with the cut side up.

6. Unroll the puff pastry and cut a large circle slightly large than the size of your pan or pie dish and drape over the pears. Tuck the edges of the pastry in and around the pears inside the pie tin. This will form the sides of your tart once baked. Score 2-3 times in the centre for the steam to escape.

7. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the pasty is golden and puffed. Remove from oven and set aside for 2 minutes. Place your serving plate on top and shake the dish (using oven mitts because it will be very hot) to help release the tart from the pan and then working very quickly flip the pan over so that the taste inverts onto the serving plate. Sprinkle with the pistachios then cut and serve hot with custard or vanilla bean ice-cream

Serves: 6

Amanda is a West Australian living in Sydney. Born to Italian parents, Amanda’s history with food began with having an exceptional cook for a mother and working in her family’s restaurants.

An Opera Singer in a past life, Amanda now works as a freelance food and craft photographer, cook and stylist. She can usually be found in her photography studio with an apron on and camera in hand.

The Italian way of cooking is free and liberating, focusing on well developed taste buds instead of measurements and preciseness. This way of cooking has led to Amanda’s ability to match flavours and develop the delicious recipes which feature throughout her recipe site Chew Town. Follow her on Instagram here!