Chocolate and pickled pear frangipane tart with citrus crème fraîche
Pickled fruit can be added to sweet and savoury dishes alike. The sour notes of the pickle here give a new twist to pear and chocolate tart.
SERVES 10-12
FOR THE PICKLED PEARS
Makes a 1L jar – you will need 1-2 pears for this recipe, halved lengthways and patted dry
* 2-3 whole pears, pricked
* 600ml white wine vinegar
* 200ml filtered water
* 150g granulated sugar
* Pinch of sea salt
* 50ml lemon juice
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 3 cardamom pods, gently smashed
* ¾tsp black peppercorns
* 3 strips of pared lemon zest
* 3 sprigs of lemon thyme
FOR THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
* 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
* 90g icing sugar
* 3tbsp cocoa powder
* Pinch of sea salt
* 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
* 1 egg, chilled
* 1-2tbsp ice-cold water (if needed)
FOR THE FRANGIPANE
* 100g unsalted butter, cubed
* 80g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
* 3tbsp cocoa powder
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature
* 100g golden caster or granulated sugar
* 180g ground almonds
TO SERVE
* 300g crème fraîche
* Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 First, pickle the pears. You will need to do this roughly 3 weeks in advance. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and spices in a large, non-reactive pan. Place over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5min, then allow to cool slightly.
2 Pack the pears into a 1L sterilised but cooled jar, leaving a 1cm gap from the top. Add the lemon zest and thyme, pour over the brine, and gently tap out any trapped bubbles (trapped air can encourage fermentation). Top up with brine so the pears are entirely covered and seal with a sterilised dry lid. Store unopened in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before opening.
3 To make the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar, cocoa and salt into a large bowl.
Add the cold butter and rub the mixture between your fingers to form fine crumbs.
4 Mix through the egg until the mixture clumps together. Add a little ice-cold water if needed, to bring together. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 60min or up to 24 hours.
5 Grease a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Roll the chilled pastry out on a floured surface to a disc 28-30cm in diameter and about 2mm thick.
6 Carefully line the tin with the pastry, gently pushing it into the edges and grooves using a little excess pastry. Chill for 30min.
7 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. To make the frangipane, melt the butter and chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat, whisk through the cocoa powder and set aside to cool, but not harden.
8 In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar until pale and creamy. Fold through the melted chocolate mixture until just combined, then gently mix through the ground almonds.
9 Remove the tart shell from the fridge and prick the base. Fill with the frangipane mixture, spreading evenly with a spatula. Slice the pears into wedges or carefully fan-cut the halves and press into the surface of the tart.
10 Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-40min so that the surface is firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely then remove from the tin.
11 Serve with crème fraîche mixed with lemon zest and juice.