Tarte aux poires et à la pistache

Serves : 6 people

Preparation : 2 hours 30

Cooking : 1 hour 05

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
8.8 oz of white flour Type T45 or T55 (cake flour)
4.9 oz of butter
1 egg yolk
3.5 oz of powdered sugar
1 pinch of fine salt
1 pod of vanilla we will use the grains
0.6 oz of water approximately, depending on the flour

For the pastry cream
8.8 oz of milk whole or low-fat
2 egg yolks about 30 g
1.2 oz of granulated sugar
0.7 oz of cornstarch (Cornstarch)
0.5 oz of unsalted butter
1 pod of vanilla

For the pistachio cream
4.4 oz of unsalted butter very soft
2.6 oz of eggs whole
4.4 oz of powdered sugar
5.3 oz of pistachios shelled or ground
0.5 oz of starch (Cornstarch)
1 giclée of Rum (optional)

Pears in syrup
2.2 lb of pears about 5–6 pears, depending on their size
17.6 oz of sugar in powder or chunks
1 lemon
4.2 cup of water

Kitchen utensils
pie pan
mixing bowl
Maryse or…
pastry horn

Instructions

Making the shortbread dough

Start by making the shortcrust pastry using the ingredients and measurements listed in this recipe, and following the instructions in the shortcrust pastry recipe.

Making the pistachio cream

First, make a pastry cream using the ingredients and proportions listed in this recipe, and following the instructions in the pastry cream recipe.
If you have whole pistachios, you’ll first need to grind them very finely in a food processor.

The Chef’s Tip

Take breaks while grinding, and stop as soon as the pistachios are reduced to small grains. If you grind them too much, they’ll start to release oil, and the powder will turn into a paste!
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pastry cream with the other ingredients listed in the "For the pistachio cream" section: softened butter, eggs, powdered sugar, ground pistachios, cornstarch, and rum.

Poached pears

Peel the pears, cut them in half, and remove the cores.
Drizzle them with lemon juice.

The Chef’s Tip

If your pears are perfectly ripe, you can skip the next steps (poaching) and use them as is for the topping!
In a saucepan, bring the sugar water to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the mixture is just simmering, and add the pear halves.
Poach for 10 to 15 minutes depending on how firm your pears are.

Be sure not to let the water boil; it should remain at a simmer.
Stop cooking as soon as the pears soften.

Don't overcook the pears, or they'll lose their firm texture, and the whole pie will suffer—what a shame!
Once they are done cooking, remove the pears one by one with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a plate.

Final assembly and baking

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Gently
spread the pistachio cream over the shortcrust pastry.

The Chef’s Tip

You can use a spatula or a pastry horn to ensure you don’t lose any of this delicious filling.
You can now carefully arrange the pear halves on top of the filling, arranging them as artistically as possible (feel free to share your photos in the comments!).
Sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top.
Bake for about 35 minutes.
Check on it after 30 minutes, and remove from the oven as soon as the top is golden brown.
Let cool.

Notes

This tart is best enjoyed right away, as the pears will release their juices and eventually make the crust soggy. That said, I found that it still held up quite well after a night in the refrigerator.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH THIS PEAR AND PISTACHIO TART: A good Champagne is the perfect pairing for this gourmet dessert.