Pear tarte Tatin
See this recipe step by step

Pear tarte Tatin

Gordon adds a touch of spice to the ultimate French classic to create the definitive autumn pudding

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 50 mins

Method

  1. Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve. If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
  2. Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling. Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
  3. Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised. Don't worry about them burning - they won't - but you want to caramelise them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle, then press the edges of the circle of pastry to thin them out.
  4. When the pears have cooled slightly, arrange them in the pan, cut side up, in a floral shape, with the pears around the edge pointing inwards. Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around. Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon's guide). Pierce the pastry a few times, then bake for 15 mins. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off at this stage (see guide). Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 mins, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish.
Try

Which pears?

Use a ripe, yet firm, pear that holds its shape. My favourite pear for this dish is Comice as it's naturally firm-fleshed even when ripe, and has a nice, round-bottomed shape. In my restaurants we peel the pears and leave them, uncovered, in the fridge for a day. This helps them dry out, so they won't release too much juice and dilute the caramel when you cook them. Don't worry about them going brown as this actually adds to the finished dish.

Tip

We pour away the excess juices from the pan halfway through baking to stop the pastry becoming soggy when you turn the tart out. This isn't essential but, if you do decide to do so, be very careful to avoid burning yourself with the hot pan or the molten sauce. We also serve baby tartes in my restaurants, cooking them to order in small copper pans.

Fitting the pastry

Make sure you tuck the pastry down the sides of the pan, using a spoon or knife to lift the pears and tuck the pastry under. This will ensure the pastry 'hugs' the fruit as it cooks, keeping the tart nice and compact.

Prefer apples?

To make this into an apple Tatin, simply swap the pears for apples. Tatins can also be made with plums, nectarines or peaches, but won't work with fruits like strawberries or raspberries as their flesh is too soft.

Per serving

429 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 25 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 2g, sugar 25g, salt 0.69 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-32

  • Binder photo louisa

    04 March 2011

    louisa commented on this recipe

    Kay Matthews - You said you used mixed spices in the recipe. How much did you put in? Thanks

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  • Binder photo faz

    17 April 2011

    faz rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    just tried this, very easy to follow and very satisfying, watch my attempt at this on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0dKXo4IsrU

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  • Binder photo Bwyd Neis

    26 August 2011

    Bwyd Neis commented on this recipe

    With the fab cast iron pan my parents bought us for our 12th anniversary this dish cooks perfectly, it is foolproof and delicious, as I only ever have cinnamon sticks in , that's all I included, I also did not have brandy the third time, but it was still great, I really can't fault this dish.

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  • Binder photo sweemore

    09 October 2011

    sweemore rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Only used the cinnamon stick as didn't have the other spices. This recipe is really simple but delicious! Highly recommend

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  • Binder photo Coginio

    21 October 2011

    Coginio commented on this recipe

    I would put less butter next time. It was easy to make and tasted delicious.

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  • Binder photo matcho

    31 October 2011

    matcho rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    lovely! Will definately be making this again, the whole family loved it.

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  • Binder photo corrinamoore

    06 January 2012

    corrinamoore rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Hate doing deserts but this one is so easy and delicious that it has become a regular favourite, having been made with both pears and apples. Usually serve with Creme Fraiche as it tends to cut through the sweetness a bit better.

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  • Binder photo Sarah

    30 March 2012

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My first ever attempt at a tarte tartin...Fool proof recipe. Simple, quick and very easy to make. I made it with a mix of cox and granny smith apples, missed out the Brandy (as i didn't have any) and served it with creme fraiche that I sweetened with a bit of icing sugar, cinnamon and a bit of vanilla. Everyone loved it. Will make again for sure.

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  • Binder photo GraceW

    08 February 2013

    GraceW rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this today for a dinner party at a friend's. It went down very well indeed. Just the right amount of sweetness and the pears were so tender, yet held their shape very well. Will definitely be making this again as I only got to have a little piece at the party.

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  • Binder photo cook

    10 February 2013

    cook commented on this recipe

    Can you make this in advance and reheat (for a dinner party) ? TIA

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  • Binder photo cook

    10 February 2013

    cook commented on this recipe

    Can you make this in advance and reheat (for a dinner party) ? TIA

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  • Binder photo *vix*

    20 April 2013

    *vix* rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious. Didn't taste v spicy but I didn't have any cardamom pods. Will try with a little less sugar next time as v v sweet. Easy to make.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 50 mins

Ingredients

  • 8 pears
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g butter
  • 2 star anise
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp brandy
  • 500g block all-butter puff pastry
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Per serving

429 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 25 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 2g, sugar 25g, salt 0.69 g

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