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Based in the West Coast of Scotland, we have a passion for all culinary aspects, from foraging, preparation, creating dishes and of course tasting the final flavours.
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@thechefslarder

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Caramel tart, pear & hazelnut


This dessert literally makes me dribble when I think of it, I had this flavour combination a fair few times but it really is my favourite. Especially the caramel. 

Caramel tart:

Pastry base:
225g butter
275g icing sugar
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
500g plain flour

Filling:
200g sugar
1000ml cream
250g egg yolk
4 gelatine leaves

Poached pear:
4 pears
220g caster sugar
1000ml water

Tuille:
50g demerara sugar
50g butter
50g golden syrup
30g plain flour
20g ground hazelnut
20ml lemon juice. 

Caramel sauce:
450g sugar
110g butter
360ml double cream

Creme friche sorbet:
400g creme fraiche
350ml stock syrup
50ml lemon juice 

Garnish: 
Roasted hazelnuts
Red vein sorrel

Pastry case: Cream the butter & sugar until pale, add the eggs one at a time and  mix until incorporated. Sift in the salt & flour and mix by hand until together. Leave to rest for an hour then roll out onto a sheet and bake at 160*c for 15 minutes. Once ready, place a square pastry case over the top and apply presure to give you a perfectly shaped base. Do not remove the case. 

Filling: Heat the sugar up until you create a dark caramel then add the cream bit by bit until you have a caramel cream. Mix the eggs together and temper with the warm cream. Anglaise the mix until it reaches 84*c then pass. Bloom gelatine and add to the mix. Leave to cool so its still liquid but not setting then pour into the case and set in the fridge for a few hours or until fully set.  

Poached pear: Bring the water & sugar to the boil then turn the heat down until its stull hot but not boiling. Place the pear into the liquid and cover with a cartouche and poach for 25 minutes. Once just about ready, take off the heat and let it cool naturally. Cut to desired shape when cold. 

Tuille: Slowly heat the butter, sugar & syrup until fully disolved then take off the heat. After a few moments, mix in the flour, hazelnut and lemon juice. Once cold, spread onto a baking sheet at bake at 180*c for 10 minutes until crisp and golden. Cut to desired shape, I used a small circle cutter. 

Caramel sauce: Caramelise the sugar until dark & brown, whisk in the butter bit by bit then add the cream. Bring to the boil then pass and cool. Place into a squeezy bottle and store in the fridge. 

Creme fraiche sorbet: Mix all the ingrediants together and freeze in a pacojet container. Churn when needed. 

Assemble the dish the way you feel best and garnish with a few roasted hazelnuts and some red vien sorrel.