Spiced Pear Tatin with Peter Gordon

Spiced Pear Tatin with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese puff pastry with a 10-year-old Tawny Port Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 large firm Forelle or Comice pears
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 25g unsalted butter
• 25g demerara sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 350g ready made puff pastry
• 150g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Chantilly cream to serve

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200°C.
2. Peel, halve and de-seed the pears. Cut each pear into quarters and toss in the lemon juice.
3. Melt the butter in a pan and add the sugar, orange zest, nutmeg and cinnamon. As the butter starts to sizzle, add the pears and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the pears have started to caramelise.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top. Fold the pastry and re-roll into a 22cm circle.
5. Transfer the pears to a shallow metal baking dish, measuring 20cm diameter. Pour the excess caramelised butter over the pears then lift the pastry on top.
6. Crimp the pastry edges around the pears and make a couple of slits in the centre. Bake on a baking sheet for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the pear tatin from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Invert the tart on to a serving plate and serve with clotted or Chantilly cream.