Grilling the pears adds a unique and delicious layer of flavour to this classic French dessert.
Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
Timing: 45-50 mins
- 6 pears, peeled, cored and cut into halves
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 40 grams cold, unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp dark rum (or 2 tbsp brewed coffee)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
- 2 tsp of neutral oil (vegetable or sunflower)
To serve:
Double cream, lightly whipped
Method
- Light your BBQ, placing the coals in a ring around the edge. Leave until the coals are grey with a thin layer of ash.
- Brush the pears with a little neutral oil and place them core side down on the grill in a ring over the coals for about five minutes until they start to caramelise, then remove from the grill and set aside. Keep the lid closed on your BBQ.
- Place a 20cm cast iron skillet over the direct side of the BBQ and add the caster sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise. Cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches a lovely, deep caramel colour, then pull the pan over to the indirect side of the BBQ and add the butter, rum, ground ginger and ground allspice. Stir to combine and then carefully remove the cinnamon stick and star anise.
- Dust the pastry and rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick and cut a disc slightly bigger than your pan (about 24cm).
- Either transfer the caramel to a new, heat-safe 20cm cake tin or use the cast iron skillet.
- Arrange the pears prettily on top of the caramel.
- Carefully place the pastry disc on top of the pears and caramel, then carefully tuck it snugly around the outside of the pears and down into the sides of the pan.
- Place back onto the BBQ, in the centre of the grill, with the coals around the edge and cook, with the lid on the BBQ for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and is golden.
- Remove from the BBQ and leave for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edge, place a large plate over the top and very carefully turn the tart onto the plate. Serve with lightly whipped double cream.
