Pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

The new: vegetarian pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

By Alice Hart

Serves four to six

 

This is also fabulous made with all pears or all apples. Serve with a green salad. You’ll need a sturdy 25cm (10in) tatin dish or ovenproof frying-pan.

For the pastry
100g (3½oz) butter
200g (7oz) plain flour
100g (3½oz) vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp thyme leaves

For the topping
75g (2¾oz) soft light-brown sugar
50g (1¾oz) butter, cubed
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, quartered and cored
3 dessert apples, such as Braeburn, peeled, quartered and cored
50g (1¾oz) hard goat’s cheese, coarsely grated

Whizz the butter and flour in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the grated cheese and blend for a few seconds. Follow with the egg and thyme and blitz again until it just comes together into a ball. Knead very briefly, shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Gently heat the sugar in the tatin tin or frying-pan until it turns to liquid, swirling occasionally to melt it evenly. When the caramel is golden, turn up the heat slightly and add the butter and vinegar, allowing the mixture to bubble for a minute. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle the caramel with walnuts and thyme then carefully (it’s hot!) arrange the fruit on top, peeled-side down. Pack it in concentric circles. Top with the goat’s cheese.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a circle a bit larger than your pan. Using a rolling-pin to pick it up, cover the fruit with the pastry, tucking in the edges.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the caramel bubbling at the sides. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Using oven gloves, hold a plate (with a lip) tightly over the pan and flip the whole lot over. Remove the pan, pushing any dislodged fruit back into place if necessary. 

I have some pears and goat's cheese which need eating up so I'm going to try this out tonight. I can't imagine it won't be wonderful...