1 2/3 c. flour
Pinch salt
9 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg yolk
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
8 tbsp. butter
1 c. sugar
2 ½ lbs. pears, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
To make the dough, place the flour and salt in a bowl, cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter. When the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, add the egg yolk mixed with the ice water and mix with the fingers of one hand to bring into a ball. Knead lightly to get the mixture to come together. Add more water if necessary to make the dough just come together. Do not overwork the dough with your hands. Mold into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
To caramelize the pears, spread 4 tbsp. butter in the bottom of a heavy iron or copper 10 inch pan. Sprinkle with ½ c. of the sugar and press in the pears. Sprinkle the pears with the remaining sugar and dot with remaining butter. Cover the pan and cook over moderate heat until the sugar begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
When the pears are ready, roll out the pastry. Tuck the corners of the pastry into the pears. Put the pan in to bake for about 35 minutes or until the pastry has slightly browned.
To serve the tart, invert the pan onto a round serving plate when it is still warm, but not straight from the oven.
Serves 8 to 10.
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