James Martin Pear Tarte Tatin

This James Martin pear tarte Tatin is a classic French-style dessert with a British touch. Soft pears are caramelised in butter and sugar, then topped with crisp puff pastry and baked until golden. It is rich, buttery, and beautifully balanced with gentle sweetness. Despite its elegant look, it is surprisingly straightforward and ready in about 50 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

For the caramel pear topping

• 75g unsalted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 ripe but firm pears, peeled, halved, and cored

For the pastry

• 1 sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• Plain flour, for dusting

How to Make James Martin Pear Tarte Tatin

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the tarte cooks evenly and the pastry turns crisp.
• Make the caramel: Add the butter and caster sugar to a 24cm ovenproof frying pan. Heat gently until melted, then increase the heat slightly and cook until a light golden caramel forms.
• Arrange the pears: Remove the pan from the heat. Arrange the pear halves cut-side up in a neat pattern, packing them closely. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Prepare the pastry: Lightly flour the work surface and roll the puff pastry slightly larger than the pan. Trim to a neat circle.
• Assemble the tarte: Lay the pastry over the pears, tucking the edges down around the fruit with a spoon.
• Bake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden.
• Rest and turn out: Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Carefully invert onto a serving plate while still warm.

Tips for the Best Pear Tarte Tatin

How do I stop the caramel from burning?

Keep the heat moderate and remove the pan from the hob as soon as the sugar turns golden. The caramel will continue cooking from residual heat.

Which pears work best?

Conference or Comice pears are ideal. They hold their shape and soften without collapsing.

Why did my pastry turn soggy?

This usually happens if the pears release too much liquid. Make sure they are ripe but still firm and bake until the pastry is well coloured.

Can I make this ahead?

It is best served fresh, but you can prepare it a few hours in advance and gently rewarm before serving.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream
• Pair with lightly whipped cream
• Add a spoon of crème fraîche for contrast

Storage

Room temperature

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

Refrigerator

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the oven to refresh the pastry.

Freezing

Freezing is not recommended as the caramel and pears lose their texture.

Nutrition

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated fat: 14g
• Sodium: 210mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary.

FAQs

James Martin Pear Tarte Tatin

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: French, BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A classic pear tarte Tatin with buttery caramel and crisp puff pastry, inspired by James Martin.

Ingredients

• 75g unsalted butter

• 100g caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 4–5 ripe pears, peeled and halved

• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry

• Plain flour, for dusting

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan.
• Melt butter and sugar in an ovenproof pan until golden.
• Arrange pears in the caramel and add vanilla.
• Cover with puff pastry and tuck in edges.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
• Rest briefly, then turn out and serve warm.

Notes

• Turn out while warm for best release.
• Use firm pears to avoid excess liquid.