Fig And Pear Tart Recipes

FRENCH PEAR TART

Steps:

• Position one oven rack to middle, and move the second rack to the top slot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough.
• Transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. With your hands press dough down to spread on bottom and onto the rims of the pan.
• Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready remove crust from oven and let sit to cool. Leave oven on.
• Meanwhile, heat the fig preserves in microwave for about 40 seconds. Pour heated fig preserves through a mesh strainer to separate chunks from liquid.
• Now, slice five pears into 1/2-inch slices, discarding core.
• Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add pear slices and 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on medium heat until pears are slightly tender; about 3 minutes.
• Remove pears onto a large platter and let sit to cool.
• Take the remaining three pears and cut them in the same manner.
• Now melt 2 tbsp of butter in previously used cast iron skillet. Add newly-sliced pears, chunks of fig reserves, and salt. Cook on medium heat, covered, for ten minutes; stir occasionally until pears are very tender.
• Take a potato masher and mash the pears and fig reserves into a puree. Let cook for another 5-7 minutes or until pureed mixture reduces and thickens.
• Transfer pear-fig puree onto the now cooled crust; spread evenly.
• Now, take the cooled pear slices and begin to assemble them in layered circles, starting at the outer edges (see photo).
• Place tart on the middle rack of the oven. Bake in 350 degree F-heated oven for 30 minutes.
• Warm up the strained liquid fig preserves for 20 seconds in the microwave.
• When tart is ready, remove from oven and brush surface of the pears evenly with the warmed fig liquid.
• Return to oven and place on the top rack. Broil very briefly; watching carefully until pears gain a nice caramelized look.
• Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.
• When ready, place the bottom of the tart pan on a wide can of food. Hold the ring part of the pan and carefully slide it downwards (see photo).
• Cut pear fig tart into eight slices and serve. Enjoy!

PEAR AND FIG TART

Steps:

• Line an ovenproof tart dish with baking paper.
• On a wooden work surface, mix together the flour, sugar and butter, cut into little pieces. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar, until it is completely worked in. Work lightly so that the butter does not melt.
• Make a mound out of this mixture and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and lemon zest (careful not to grate the bitter pith in too!)
• Work the ingredients together, first with a fork, then with your hands, until you have a smooth, soft pastry dough.
• Wrap the pastry dough in clingfilm and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes (ideally 2 hours, especially in warm weather).
• Peel, core and halve the pears. Halve the figs.
• In 50 g of butter and 100 g of sugar, caramelise the fruit, covering the pan for the first 10 minutes so that the fruit releases its liquid. Then continue to cook without the lid for a further minutes, until the fruit is covered with a thick syrup.
• Arrange the syrupy fruit in the tart dish in a circular pattern, remembering to put the side that will be visible face down.
• Roll out the pastry dough carefully and place over the fruit, pressing the edges of the dough into the sides of the dish. You should try and achieve a 1 cm (half-inch) thickness. If you have pastry left over, use to make delicious cookies!
• Cook in an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Turn upside down carefully onto a plate.
• Serve with whipped cream or custard (see the tiramisù recipe), or even whipped cream folded into custard...

PEAR-AND-FIG TART

Steps:

• Arrange the figs in a circle around the edge of the tart shell. Quarter, core and peel the pears, being careful not to break them. Cut the pear quarters across into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, inside the circle of figs. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake until the fruit is cooked, about 35 minutes.
• Place the honey in a small saucepan over low heat until warm. Stir in kirsch if using and brush honey mixture over the fruit. Serve warm or at room temperature.