R E C I P E S

Pear Tart

By Edward Behr

A little Cognac underlines the pear taste of plain cooked pears. Among common varieties, I prefer Comice or Bartlett (also known as Williams and Bon Chrétien — a 200-year-old variety that often survives well in the distribution chain and then ripens beautifully on your kitchen counter), followed by Bosc (which has more “sand”), and then D’Anjou. Instead of using fresh pears, for a different and also very good effect make the tart with Pears Poached in Red Wine — in that case, skip the Cognac and vanilla. The cooked pears are hard to slice neatly when you assemble the tart; it’s fine to just cut them in half and not into thin slices. Another option is cooked quinces. I came across the filling — a sort of rich flan that in a hot oven becomes relatively light  and cakey — somewhere, years ago, and I don’t know whom to credit.

 

dough to make one 10-inch (25-cm) flaky crust

4 pears, weighing altogether roughly 2¼ pounds (1 kilo)

1 cup (210 gr) sugar

3/8 cup (50 gr) all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

a large pinch of salt

2 tablespoons Cognac or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup (175 gr) unsalted butter, melted 

 

Heat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Choose a 10-inch (25‑cm) tart mold with a removable bottom or a flan ring set on a baking sheet, and line it with the pastry. Peel the pears, cut them neatly in half, and remove the stems and cores. One at a time, place each half cut-side down, and cut across it with a small, sharp knife to make 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices, keeping the pear shape intact. Transfer each pear half, holding the slices together, to the pastry, so that 7 halves, narrow ends in, radiate from the center. Tip them, so the slices slant outward from the center. (Unless the pears are very small, you will have half a pear left over to eat yourself.)

Whisk the sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and Cognac or vanilla to a smooth batter; whisk in the melted butter. Pour the batter over the pears. Bake for 1 hour (any shorter period risks leaving the bottom crust undercooked). If you have baked the tart in a ring or a mold with a removable bottom, unmold it and cool it on a rack, to keep the bottom crisp. Best served warm. Serves 6 to 8.

From The Art of Eating Cookbook

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