Salted honey, pear and chocolate tarte tatin

The classic French tarte tatin is a sweet, sticky tart that’s cooked upside down. Traditionally made with apples caramelised in butter and sugar, it’s baked with a shortcrust or puff pastry base layered on top, before being flipped over once cooked. In this version, apples are swapped for juicy, pan-roasted pears; salt and honey are stirred into the caramel; and chopped walnuts are thrown in for added texture. It’s not an overtly chocolatey dessert, but the dark chocolate here plays a key supporting role by subtly enriching the caramel. This is a gloriously sweet, sticky, salty affair, best served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Salted honey, pear and chocolate tarte tatin by Sue Quinn

SERVES: 4-6 TAKES: 1 HR 20 MINS

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (or 320g block) plain flour, for dusting (optional)

6 Conference pears (or other small pears),

around 100g each lemon juice, for tossing

70g unsalted butter, chopped

70g caster sugar

70g runny honey

½ tsp salt

50g walnut pieces

50g dark chocolate (60%), chopped whipped cream, to serve

METHOD

1 Heat oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4. If using block pastry, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick. Cut a 23cm disc from the pastry, then prick all over with a fork and put in the fridge to chill.

2 Peel and halve the pears, then carefully remove the cores (you want perfect halves, if possible). Transfer to a bowl and toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

3 Melt the butter in a 20cm ovenproof frying pan. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 2 mins until it begins to dissolve, then stir in the honey and salt. Arrange all but one of the pear halves in the pan, cut-side up, with the narrowest ends pointing to the centre (you want them to fit snugly, as they’ll shrink during cooking). If there’s a space left in the centre, cut a round from the final pear half and place it, cut-side up, in the space (any remaining pear can be discarded).

4 Cook the pears over a medium heat for 30 mins: the butter and sugar mixture should energetically bubble away and reduce down to a thick and syrupy, amber-coloured caramel. Shake the pan frequently and, now and then, spoon some of the caramel over the pears.

5 Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle over the walnuts and chocolate, filling in any gaps between the pears with the nuts. Cover with the chilled pastry disc, tucking the edges into the sides of the pan with a spoon. Bake for 30 mins, or until puffed and golden. Set aside for 5 mins, then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve immediately with the whipped cream.

Taken from Cocoa, by Sue Quinn (£25, Quadrille)