Pear and parmesan tarte tatin with thyme pastry

Name: Pear and parmesan tarte tatin with thyme pastry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 6–8
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting; 100 g (3½ oz) parmesan cheese, finely grated; 1 egg, beaten; 6 ripe but firm pears, quartered and cored; 100 g (3½ oz) butter; 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts; 1 tablespoon thyme leaves; 50 g (1¾ oz) butter; 75 g (2½ oz) light brown sugar

Preparation info

Serves
6–8

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

Vegetarian

By Alice Hart

Published 2018

About

It’s a rare recipe than works as a starter, main or cheese course. Served as a starter or main, a rocket (arugula) side salad wouldn’t go amiss. As a dessert or cheese course, the tart will stand alone or can be accompanied by a little crème fraîche. Figs and hard goat’s cheese also work extremely well instead of the pears and parmesan.

Ingredients

75 g (2½ oz) light brown sugar
50 g (1¾

Pastry
Dessert
Starter
Main course
cheese
Vegetarian

Method

To make the pastry, whizz the butter and flour in a food processor until it resembles fine crumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the parmesan and blend for a few seconds. Add the egg and thyme and blitz again until the pastry just comes together into a ball. Knead briefly until smooth, shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 20 minutes.