Baked pears, oat crumble
There is a generous amount of sea salt in the crumbly biscuits accompanying the baked pears. Don’t be tempted to leave it out, it’s essential. I used conference pears for this, because that was what I had around, but beautiful, plump comice would be my first choice.
Serves 3-6
Ingredients
For the pears
100g caster sugar
A litre of water
6 pears
Juice of ½ a lemon
For the oat crumble
100g butter
90g demerara sugar
95g rolled oats
75g plain flour
1 tsp sea salt
To finish
50g butter
50g caster sugar
250g blackberries
Method
To poach the pears, bring the sugar and water to the boil in a large saucepan. Peel the pears and either keep them whole or slice them in half and scoop out the core with a teaspoon. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into syrup. Lower the pears into the bubbling syrup and turn the heat down to a simmer. Let them cook until almost tender. Timing will depend on their variety and ripeness. They are ready when a metal skewer can be pushed effortlessly into them.
For the oat crumble: set the oven at 160°C fan. Put the butter and demerara sugar in the bowl of a food mixer and beat until thoroughly combined. Remove the bowl from the machine and rub in the rolled oats and flour with your fingertips as if you were making pastry by hand, then add the salt (I know this sounds like a lot of salt, but it makes the whole thing sing).
Turn the mixture out on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading it in a rough, single layer. (The texture should be loose and crumbly. Don’t be tempted to press it into a flat sheet.) Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly crisp and pale-biscuit coloured. Remove from the oven and set aside. It will be soft at first but will crisp as it cools.
Set the oven to 180°C fan. Remove the pears from their syrup and transfer them to a roasting tin. Keep a few tablespoons of the syrup. (You can keep the rest for something else but, to be honest, it has done its work.) Add the butter and caster sugar to the pears, then put them in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the fruit is fully tender — keep an eye on things so it doesn’t burn. Tip in the blackberries and a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pear cooking syrup, then return to the oven till the pears are sticky and glossy and flushed pink from the berry juices.
Break the oat crumble into pieces and serve with the pears, 1 or 2 per person depending on their size, and their syrup.
The puff pastry lends a flaky lightness to the tart but is slightly less straightforward than using shortcrust. Either will produce a sound crust for the tender filling.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 large courgettes (about 500g)
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
325g puff pastry
2 eggs, plus 1 extra yolk
150ml double cream
200g feta
2 Tbsp tarragon
10g grated parmesan
Method
You will need a 20cm tart tin. Grate the courgettes using the coarse disc attachment of a food processor (or the very coarse side of a box grater). Put the grated courgettes into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with the salt and leave for 45 minutes.
Roll the pastry into a disc large enough to line the tart tin then lower into place, ushering it up the side of the tin with your fingers but without stretching the pastry. A little overhang is fine. Place on a baking sheet. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 25 minutes.
Set the oven at 180°C fan and place a pizza stone or a thick baking sheet into the oven to get hot.
Place a piece of tin foil or baking parchment inside the tart case on top of the pastry and fill with baking beans. Bake the pastry, placing the tart tin on top of the preheated baking sheet or pizza stone, for about 12 minutes. Remove tart and tray from the oven, then carefully lift out the beans and foil. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until the surface of the pastry is dry to the touch.
Lower the oven heat to 160°C fan. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then pour in the double cream. Crumble in the feta and add the chopped tarragon and a little black pepper.
Firmly squeeze the water from the courgettes, then stir them into the custard. Transfer the mixture to the pastry shell. Dust the grated parmesan over the surface and carefully return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. — The Guardian News & Media
