Pear tarte tatin

Method

1. Peel the pears, halve them top to bottom, and scoop out the cores with a melon baller or teaspoon so each half sits with a clean hollow. Choose fruit that gives slightly to a thumb press but is still firm through the middle; anything soft will collapse in the caramel.
2. Set a 24-26 cm ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the butter and sugar together, without stirring. Let them melt and then bubble, swirling the pan by the handle every 30 seconds or so once the edges start to colour, until the whole pan is a deep amber caramel, roughly the colour of strong tea, about 6-8 minutes. Watch it closely in the last minute; it darkens fast and burnt caramel tastes bitter, not rich.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the scraped vanilla seeds and pod (or the vanilla extract) and the pinch of cardamom. The caramel will hiss and thicken slightly as it cools for a moment.
4. Arrange the pear halves cut-side up in the caramel, rounded sides down, packing them in tightly since they will shrink a little as they cook. Wedge any odd-shaped pieces into the gaps. If using pear brandy, pour it over now.
5. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook the pears for 10-15 minutes, basting the tops with the caramel every few minutes using a spoon. The pears are ready when they are tender at the edges when pricked with a knife tip, the caramel has deepened further, and the kitchen smells strongly of caramelized fruit. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) during this stage.
6. Take the pan off the heat. Lay the cold puff pastry sheet over the pears, prick it all over with a fork, and tuck the overhanging edges down between the fruit and the inside of the pan, as if tucking in a blanket. Working quickly while the pastry is still cold keeps it from softening and losing its rise.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown, well puffed, and crisp, and you can see the caramel bubbling thickly at the edges where the pastry meets the pan.
8. Rest the tart in the pan for 5-10 minutes; this lets the caramel settle so it clings to the fruit instead of flooding the plate. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the pastry.
9. Set a plate with a lip over the pan, take a breath, and invert the two together in one confident motion. Lift the pan away carefully (it is still hot) and nudge any pears that stuck back into place with a spoon. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

• Storage and reheating: leftovers keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat individual slices in a 180°C oven or a dry skillet for a few minutes to recrisp the pastry; the microwave will make it soggy.
• Do not stir the caramel while it cooks, only swirl the pan by the handle. Stirring can cause the sugar to seize and crystallize. In the last minute before it reaches deep amber, stay at the stove; caramel can go from perfect to scorched in under 30 seconds.
• Pear ripeness matters more than variety. Conference and Williams (Bartlett) pears both hold their shape well. Aim for fruit that yields slightly to gentle pressure near the stem but is still firm at the centre; a fully soft, ripe-for-eating pear will turn mushy and fall apart once it hits the hot caramel.

Ingredient substitutions

• Puff pastry: all-butter puff pastry is the traditional and preferred choice here, it browns more deeply, tastes richer, and holds a more distinct lamination than pastry made with vegetable shortening. In Germany, refrigerated Blätterteig from the chilled section is usually all-butter already and is a reliable default. In the US and Canada, most supermarket puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm and similar) is made with vegetable shortening, so look specifically for an all-butter brand such as Dufour. Homemade rough puff pastry is a good middle ground if you want to make your own without committing to full classic lamination, which brings little visible benefit here since the pastry ends up as a flat lid rather than a laminated showpiece. Whichever pastry you use, it must go onto the pan cold, straight from the fridge; if it warms up, it will not puff properly and may shrink or slide off the fruit as it bakes.

Sources consulted

• Jamie Oliver: The World Famous Tarte Tatin
• Pastry at Home: Pear and Apple Tarte Tatin