Our twist on a classic dessert combines dark-golden caramel sauce and crisp pastry with meltingly soft pears
Pear tarte tatin
■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 25 mins plus resting ■ Cook 35 mins
4 Williams pears, halved, cored
and quartered
150g caster sugar
50g salted butter, cubed
500g puff pastry block
1 egg, beaten
ice cream, to serve
1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Round off any sharp edges on the pear segments using a small, sharp knife.
2 Tip the sugar into a 25cm ovenproof frying pan with 3 tbsp water. Heat gently, swirling the pan as the sugar melts. Turn up the heat and cook until it turns a caramel colour. Carefully add the butter (the mixture will splutter) and swirl to dissolve. Add the pear pieces. Turn the heat right down and spoon the caramel over the pear segments, turning them for 5 mins until they’re coated and turning golden. Remove the pan from the heat.
3 Arrange the pear segments neatly in the pan, flat-side up. Remember that the sides of the pear on the base of the pan will be facing upwards once the tart is flipped.
4 Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a circle about 1/2cm thick and a little bigger than the frying pan. Gently lift the puff pastry and drape it over the pan, tucking the edges of the pastry into the frying pan so it fits snugly over the pears. Prick between six and nine holes all over the pastr
