Pear Tarte Tatin

I dare say Gordon Ramsay knows a thing or two about a tarte tatin. Probably the first thing he mastered as a chef. Needless to say, it’s a satisfyingly oozy, gooey caramel wonder, sweet fruit and crisp pastry make this heavenly French dessert. With only a few ingredients and a bit of patience, give it a go.

Ingredients
• 4 ripe pears
• 100g caster sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 roll of ready-made puff pastry

Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/gas 6.

Peel, quarter and core the pears.

Put the sugar into a 20cm ovenproof frying pan to melt over a low heat without stirring.

Once the sugar has turned a caramel colour, stir in the butter to make a smooth caramel.

Add the vanilla seeds, star anise and cinnamon stick to the pan.

Arrange the pears in the pan, cut side up, then place over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Roll out the puff pastry to 5mm thick and cut out a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide.

Place the pastry over the pears and quickly tuck down the sides with a round-bladed knife.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until golden and risen.

Let the tarte tatin sit for 5 minutes to allow the caramel to settle, then very carefully turn out onto a large serving plate.