Pear Cinnamon And Star Anise Tarte Tatin
This classic pie was reinvented with pear, cinnamon, star anise and topped with a crispy golden puff pastry thats inverted and baked to perfection.
Equipment
- 1 8 inches baking tin
Ingredients
- 8 pears
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 star anises
- 1 cinnamon stick large
- 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
- 10 oz (300g) puff pastry
Instructions
- Core and peel the pears and halve them.
- Add the sugar, butter, star anise and cinnamon into a baking tin 8-inches wide or skillet and put directly into the stove, over high heat until bubbling. Shake the tin to stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
- Lay the pears in the pan beautifully, and cook for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised. It will not burn, but you want to caramelize them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set aside.
- Let the pears cool slightly, make sure the pears around the edges are pointing inwards
- Place the cinnamon sticks and star anise in the centre.
- Preheat oven to 356º F / 180º C.
- Roll the puff pastry out to ½ inch thick. Lay it over the tin or skillet and cut to size, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit. Make 3 small holes with a tip of a knife into the pastry.
- Bake for 15 minutes. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off in the middle of the process carefully. Reduce the oven to 320º F / 160º C and bake for further 15 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 minutes, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish bigger than your tin or skillet.
Notes
Pears: You can prepare them a day ahead and keep in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out. It will make your pears more succulent.
Avoid getting soggy: To prevent the tarte tatin fro getting soggy, let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the oven and transferring to a plate.
If preparing in advance, slightly reheat the pie in the oven to loosen the caramelized sugar sauce.
Freezing: You can freeze it by placing in an air tight container or ziplock for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat it by transferring to a tin and bake on a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 300º F / 150º C.