Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard runs cookery school and caféCake Boy. Eric trained as an apprentice chocolatier, and his latest book, Chocolat, has over 100 recipes that chocoholics will love.
See more of Eric Lanlard’s recipes
Eric Lanlard
Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard runs cookery school and caféCake Boy. Eric trained as an apprentice chocolatier, and his latest book, Chocolat, has over 100 recipes that chocoholics will love.
See more of Eric Lanlard’s recipes
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Ingredients
1 x 375g sheet all-butter puff pastry
plain flour, to dust
55g soft unsalted butter
100g golden caster sugar
9 pears (we used Conference)
2 tsp juniper berries
crème fraîche or fromage frais, to serve
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Step by step
Unroll the pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface then roll out thinner to a square. Using a plate that is slightly larger than the top of your pan as a template, cut out a circle of pastry. Chill on a baking tray while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter into an 18cm base diameter tarte tatin pan (or ovenproof frying pan). Sprinkle in the sugar.
Next, peel the pears, cut them in half and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon or melon baller. Put the pan of butter and sugar over a medium-high heat. Watch the pan carefully at this stage, moving it around if one area is browning faster than another, and shaking the pan rather than stirring. Once the sugar has caramelised, remove from the heat. Lightly squash the juniper berries with the back of a spoon (without breaking them up) and scatter into the caramel.
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
Tightly pack the pears in a circle in the pan of caramel, with their more attractive rounded sides downwards. Slightly overlap the pears at an angle in order to pack as many in as you can. Place the pan back on a medium-high heat and cook for a good 15 minutes or until the pears are getting nicely caramelised underneath. The pears will shrink slightly as they cook – do not be afraid to add another slice or two to the tarte.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Now press the pastry circle on to the pears, tucking the edges down the side of the pan, then transfer the pan to a baking tray in the centre of the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is a beautiful golden colour and well risen. Do not worry if some of the caramelised juices bubble out. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Then take a warm serving plate, press against the pastry and invert the pan, giving it a good shake. The tart should slip out, juices and all. Serve with lots of crème fraîche or fromage frais.
Serve with
Ultimate vanilla custard
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This may be more of an issue with apples than with pears. Some bakers suggest cutting the fruit and placing it in the refrigerator overnight to dry out and prevent this. Another reason the dessert may become soggy is if it sits out too long. Tarte tatin is best enjoyed warm as the crust will get soggy as it cools.
Named after the woman who invented it, the Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) is a famous French "upside-down" caramelized apple tart or Tarte aux pommes (caramélisé). Basically, the apples are underneath the dough – topsy-turvy indeed.
The tarte Tatin (French pronunciation: [taʁt tatɛ̃]), named after the Tatin sisters who invented it and served it in their hotel as its signature dish, is a pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked.
For best results, cook a day or two ahead and keep in its pan or dish in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for 20 mins at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 an hour before serving. Turn out to serve as above.
And finally, the most frustrating pastry problem of all – the soggy bottom. This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.
You could use a cast iron ovenproof pan but as these are sturdier in construction than a tart tatin pan it will need to be preheated in the oven for slightly longer than the thin metal pan. We would suggest giving it 10-15 minutes in the oven before using.
The main difference is that tarts only have a bottom crust, and the crust is much thicker than a pie crust. Galettes – This is basically a pie made without using a pie dish, but because that would be too simple galettes can be made with any type of pastry dough.
A Tarte Tatin is simply an upside-down apple tart. But that's like saying Versailles was a house. Buttery, slightly salty pastry dough spotlights apples cooked to a rich, deep amber. It's modest in its simplicity.
Choose a pan: a copper tarte tatin mold will be perfect (here's a link to a good one), but you can also use an iron skillet (as long as it doesn't smell like salmon or something) or even a heavy stainless steel (like All-Clad) or non-stick sauté pan.
The Pan. I use a 10-inch (26cm) All-Clad, stainless steel fry pan (skillet) as an example. It heats evenly and can be popped into the oven. Any stainless steel fry pan works, just make sure the handle is ovenproof.
This ubiquitous green variety is one of the most tart apples and a favorite apple among professional bakers. It boasts a bright, citrus-like aroma, with substantial acidity that complements the added sugar in pie recipes. The flesh is firm and crunchy and holds up well under long bake times.
Quickly and carefully invert the tart onto the platter so the apples are on top. If any apples stick to the skillet, set them back into the tart. Serve warm or at room temperature, with dollops of crème fraîche, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.
One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.
Richard's solution: Soggy bottoms can be a right nuisance, even though they don't really alter the taste of your bake. They are usually the result of either a filling that's too wet in your bake or an under-cooked or thin pastry base.
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Prep time: 30 mins
