Pauli's spiced apple & pear tart

This post is dedicated to my recently re-discovered high school friend Maria - we had lost touch during the 16 years since our graduation and only got back together last summer. It's her birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIRLI!
When our friends Brigitte and Paul (also a reunion after a very long time without seeing each other) stayed with us for a few days last week, we devoted our entire Saturday to food. Shopping at the Borough Market over lunch, then cooking together and enjoying the fruit of our labour with a dinner which lasted more than 4 hours. Can't think of a better way to catch up with friends, especially after such a long time!
Now they're off to Brussels, on a fact-finding mission which might or might not be the starting point of a great new Austrian restaurant over there... although I am asking them to reconsider and build something up in London, so I could join the party and do something I am more passionate about than my day job!
I promised to reveal the recipe for the fabulous dessert turned mother's day surprise - a spiced apple and pear tart. This reminded my very much of an excellent patisserie/chocolaterie we have here in Richmond. Willam Curley's signature creation is a spiced pineapple tarte tatin - an individual pineapple slice stewed with (I am guessing) vanilla, cardamom, star anise, cloves and pepper in a crispy base of puff pastry (another dessert I'll try out soon!). Delicioso!!!
Paul's version uses a puff pastry base as well, but tops it with spiced apple purée, then layers it with the thinnest slivers of pear. Brushed with some of my friend Timi's Hungarian apricot jam, this was so delectable that I am sure Mr. Hurley could feel the breeze...

Pauli's spiced apple & pear tart
(yields about a baking tray full)

This is what I call a pseudo-recipe, as I did not take notes while Pauli was cooking.
But I would imagine it goes a bit like this:

Core 3 good-quality (eating) apples, wash and core them (do not peel), then cut into bite-sized chunks. Put into a non-stick pot and add some 100 ml white port (Pauli used a lovely bottle I bought in the Hunter Valley in 2001, the winemaker is called Reg Drayton and this white port is a single-variety port produced from Verdelho, which is one of my favourite grapes). Add half a vanilla pod, 1 star anise, 5 cardamom pods, 2 cinnamon sticks and stew the apples in there until they're incredibly soft. Remove the spices, then purée the apples with the liquid using a hand-held blender. If your sauce appears too thin, stir in some thickening granules or maizena over medium heat. Drizzle in some lime juice to prevent it from oxydising (I actually think cooked apples won't oxydise any more, but Paul doesn't share this opinion).
Unfold some ready-rolled puff pastry and cut into strips 25 x 10 cm long. Lay on a non-stick baking tray, spread with the apple purée. Take 4-6 pears, quarter and core, then cut into very thin slivers. Arrange on the pastry like tiles on a roof, then bake in the oven until the pears are soft  and the pastry nice and crisp. Spread some apricot jam on top for glazing. Ideally serve luke warm, with some whipped cream or left-over apple purée.

Comments

[Louise]

I tried this recipe. The spiced apple puree is amazing. However, the pear slivers are really dry after baking, even though I spread a layer of apricot glaze over and let it warm in the oven after it was done. Any suggestions?

[johanna]

Hi Louise, glad you like the recipe.
I think the dryness of the pears will very much depend on the type of pear you use, actually – and how ripe/unripe they are. Try really juicy ones and go for pears that are already quite soft – and make sure you don’t cut them too thinly! hope this helps...