Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 Conference pears, peeled
half bottle of good red wine
2 or 3 tbsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5 cloves
peel of half an orange
375ml water
Procedure:
Place all the ingredients, with the exception of the pears, in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer for 40 minutes, then turn off. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavours to infuse.
Bring the poaching liquor back up to a simmer and pop in the peeled pears. Leave on the heat for 5-6 minutes, then remove. Place a plate over then pears so they stay immersed in the liquid and leave to cool. This can all be done 2 or 3 days in advance and the pears left in the fridge.
Tartlet Ingredients:
250g plain flour
125g butter
2 tbsp castersugar
cold water
Procedure:
Dice the butter and rub into the flour and sugar until a breadcrumb texture is achieved. A little at a time, add cold water to the mixture until it forms a soft dough that isn’t too wet. If you happen to put too much water in, add a little more flour to bring it back. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 40 minutes.
Butter and flour two 7.5cm tartlet tins. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Roll the pastry out until it is 3 mm thick and carefully line the tins with it, using a piece of excess dough to push it into the corners. Prick with a fork, then place a small piece of grease proof paper in the case and fill with baking beans or dried marrow fat peas. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are a light golden color Remove the beans, wash the pastry with beaten egg and bake for a further 5 minutes or until an even golden color Remove tartlet cases from oven and leave to cool in their tins. When cool, trim away any excess pastry to leave clean edges.
Almond Cream Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
60 g caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1½ tbsp plain flour
250 ml milk
1 drop almond essence
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod
Almond Cream Procedure:
Whisk the egg yolks,sugar and vanilla seeds together in a bowl.Add the flour, cornflour and almond essence. Whisk until smooth. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Gradually add the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add the mixture to a clean pan and return to the heat.Whisk constantly until thick and smooth. Place a disc of grease proof paper on the top to prevent a skin forming and put in the fridge to cool.
To assemble:
good quality dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, additional sugar, to serve (optional) Heat the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water until melted. Fill each tart case with the almond cream.
Core each pear and use a sharp knife to cut into a fan. Place a fanned pear on top of each filled tart case and spoon over a little of the poaching stock. Spoon chocolate around and over—as much as you like!
Recipe Type: Authentic
Recipe Author: Head Chef Gavin Swift
Photo By: Head Chef Gavin Swift/The George at Wath
Restaurant: The George at Wath, Main Street Wath Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5EN, United Kingdom
Source: http://www.thegeorgeatwath.co.uk/pdf/chefs-table.pdf