“Could you please ask the chef at Annie Smithers Bistrot for the pear and frangipane tart recipe?”
Bevan Bowell, Bendigo, Vic
REQUEST A RECIPE
To request a recipe, email fareexchange@bauer-media.com.au or send us a message via Facebook. Please include the restaurant’s name and address, as well as your name and address. Please note that because of the volume of requests we receive, we can only publish a selection in the magazine.
Ingredients
Poached pears
Method
Main
1.For poached pears, combine wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, vanilla seeds, saffron and 1 litre water. Bring to the simmer, then reduce heat. Peel pears, then remove the base of each pear with a melon baller (see note). Using a smaller melon baller, remove the core through the first hole that was made. Add pears to saucepan, cover with paper, weight with a plate and poach until tender (50 minutes-1 hour). Cool in syrup. Before serving, cut pears in half.
2.Preheat oven to 170C. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until batter is light and fluffy (1-2 minutes). Then fold in ground almonds and spread into a 20cm x 30cm cake tin lined with baking paper and arrange poached pears, cut-side up, on top (don’t push pears into mixture). Bake until golden brown and tart springs back when lightly touched (35-45 minutes). Cool in the tin, remove and cut into eight pieces. Serve with maple syrup and vanilla ice-cream.
Note If melon ballers are unavailable, you can alternatively halve the pears and use a teaspoon to remove the core. Adjust cooking time.
Notes
