Ginger Video (and Pear Ginger Tart Tatin)

YouTube link: Minced Ginger

Videos you might want to watch before this one:

• Kitchen Knives and Their Tasks
• How to Sharpen Knives
• Claw and Pinch Grip -- How to keep blood out of your veggies

Have you decided what pies you are making for Thanksgiving yet?  Do you have room for one more?  It's a show stopper, is very easy to make, and you can use store bought pie dough if you are short on time.  The pie I am talking about is Pear Ginger Tart Tatin.  The pears are caramelized in a skillet, then sprinkled with a generous amount of raw minced ginger and covered with pie dough.  Once the turkey is out, you stick this tart in the oven for 30 minutes and it's ready by desert time.  The flipping it onto a plate is way easier than it seems, but it is always accompanied with a suspense and drama as you lift the skillet to reveal a huge flower of caramelized pears.  Don't be alarmed by a large amount of ginger.  It caramelizes as the tart bakes and becomes quite mild.



Caramelized Pear Tart with Ginger

Note about skillet: I use a 10 inch stainless steel all-clad or tramontina skillet.  Non-stick pans also work.  Cast iron might be a bit heavy to lift and flip.  If you haven't done much weight lifting in the gym lately, this might not be the best pan for this tart.


In advance tip:  You can cook the pears and roll out the dough the morning of Thanksgiving, but start baking the tart no earlier than 1 hour before serving.  The pears tend to wrinkle as the tart cools off and don't taste quite as good as when it's just baked.

Burnt pears tip: If the pears burnt a little, don't panic.  Take a paring knife and slice a sliver off the top after baking and inverting the tart.  I prefer the pears and caramel to be more brown rather than less.


4 large Bosc pears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsp minced ginger (optional)
Pâte Brisée (pie and tart dough) for one 10-inch tart

Peel, halve, and core pears.

In a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet, with the skinny end of pears pointing into the middle of the pan. If you have a half of pear left over, cut a circle out of it and place it in the middle of the skillet domed side down. The pears will make a sort of flower in the skillet. Cook without stirring until sugar mixture forms a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on skillet and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and ginger.

Preheat oven to 425°F and set a rack in the upper third of the oven.
On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and arrange over caramelized pears. Tuck edges into the skillet around pears. Bake tart in the upper third of the oven until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes, but not longer.

Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than skillet. Invert plate over skillet and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert tart onto plate. Do this over the sink in case some juices spill. This is a bit scary, but it works! The trick is to do it in one very fast motion.

Let cool until warm, 10-15 minutes. Serve tart warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

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