Living Tastefully
  • Home
  • PAINTINGS
  • About
  • Passions-to-Pastry Blog
  • Contact
  • Recipes

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER (or is it dessert?)--caramelized pear and roquefort tart

3/18/2009

6 Comments

 

     Do you ever question if what you are eating is dinner or dessert?  That was our dilemma with the Caramelized Pear and Roquefort tart I made.  The duo of sweet & savory in this tart allowed it to go either way. 

  I paired the tart with a salad of greens and a very vinegary shallot vinaigrette.  This combination of contrasts was, in my mind at least, perfect.   I poured myself a glass of Argentinian PASCUAL TOSO Malbec, and certainly had a smile on my face while savoring each and every bite.  My husband, on the other hand, thought it a bit strange eating this tart for dinner.  He chose instead, to eat something else I had stored in the refrigerator and saved the pear tart for dessert.  Whatever....  I think he really missed out on one great dinner.

                          Caramelized Pear and Roquefort Tart
                            from The New York Times Magazine, December 1996

Crust:
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 4 teaspoons of water
Filling:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 7 to 8 medium-size firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
• 3 ounces Roquefort cheese
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup port
1.  To make the crust, put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until ground (I add a some of the flour to the walnuts while processing. This helps to avoid the walnuts becoming a paste).  Add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse just to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until most of the butter is incorporated into the flour.  Add the yolk mixture and pulse until the dough begins to come together.  Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill.
2.  To make the filling, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half the pears to the skillet and sauté until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove the pears from the skillet and repeat with the remaining pears.  Set aside.
3.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Roll out the dough between large sheets of plastic wrap and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  (This is a delicate tart dough.  If you begin having trouble with it, just stick it back in the refrigerator to chill.  You may end up with breaks and cracks in the dough, but just press scrap pieces of the dough into them and it will be fine).  Cover with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or rice.  Bake for 20 minutes.  remove the paper and weights and bake the crust until it is golden, about 7 to 10 minutes more.
4.  Arrange the pear halves in a circle over the dough, core side down and wider end toward the edge of the pan.  Fill in the center with more pears.  Crumble the cheese over and around the pears.
5.  Whisk together the half-and-half, sugar, egg yolks and flour.  Pour over the pears.  Bake until the custard is set, about 45 minutes.
6.  Meanwhile, simmer the port in a small saucepan until it is reduced to a syrup.  While the tart is still warm and just before serving, brush the port over the pears.  Cut into wedges and serve.

6 Comments
Susan link
3/19/2009 08:07:22 am

I think my husband and I would react the same. I'd have it for dinner - he'd have it for dessert. Regardless, it looks wonderful!

Reply
Andyboy link
3/19/2009 02:24:38 pm

This is incredible. I'll be making it for Sunday brunch. Thanks for the recipe!

Reply
sara link
3/19/2009 03:08:47 pm

Oooooh, yum! What a creative idea--this looks really tasty.

Reply
Susan/Wild Yeast link
3/19/2009 04:19:47 pm

One of the most gorgeous pear tarts I have seen, and sounds like one of the most delicious too. Wow!

Reply
Hayley link
3/20/2009 04:54:14 am

Beautiful tart. I love the presentation. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Merisi's link
3/29/2009 02:22:01 am

Exquisite recipe and the photography is worthy of .... well .... which will it be, Martha or Gourmet? ;-)

Now I am hungry!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture




    Picture
    Picture
    Enter your Email

    Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz






    Categories

    All
    Amana
    Appetizers
    Beef
    Breads
    Breakfast
    Cakes
    Chocolate
    Condiments
    Cookies
    Daring Bakers Challenge
    Desserts And Sweets
    Drinks
    Eggs
    Espresso
    Etcetera
    Fish
    French Bulldogs
    Friday Night Dinner
    Fruit
    Germany
    Gratins
    Great Kitchens
    Grilling
    Ice Cream
    Lamb
    Main Dishes
    Muffins
    My Garden
    My Kitchen Renovation
    New Years Day Brunch
    Paris
    Pasta
    Pork
    Poultry
    Provence
    Restaurants
    Rhubarb
    Rice
    Salads
    Scones
    Seafood
    Side Dish
    Soup
    Sunday Mornings
    Sweet And Savory Tarts
    Thanksgiving
    Tomatoes
    Vegetables
    Vegetarian

  • Home
  • PAINTINGS
  • About
  • Passions-to-Pastry Blog
  • Contact
  • Recipes