Chocolate Pear Tarts with Sparkling Shiraz Sabayon

Chocolate Pear Tarts with Sparkling Shiraz Sabayon

Serves: 4
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 mins poaching and 15 mins baking

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup (220g) sugar
2 ripe but firm pears
1 sheet Chocolate puff pastry
4 tablespoons sugar, extra

Sabayon
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (250mls) sparkling shiraz

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).
2. Make sugar syrup by bringing sugar and water gently to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring well to help sugar dissolve before boiling point is reached. Meanwhile peel pears, place in sugar syrup and poach until tender. Roll them with a wooden spoon occasionally and baste with the syrup and cook until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle cut in half and use a melon baller or teaspoon to remove core.
3. Roll out chocolate pastry on a floured board. Place pear halves cut side down on this and cut 1 – 2cm wider around the outside of each pear. Place on greased oven tray, sprinkle with extra sugar and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until pastry is crisp.
4. To make sabayon, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until pale and thick. Gradually whisk in sparkling red, a little at a time, whisking well between each addition to combine. Do not add more wine until the mixture has thickened again. This process takes about 5 minutes
5. To serve, spoon sauce onto serving plate to cover and place pear tart on top. Enjoy with another glass of Peter Lehmann Black Queen!

Lyndey’s Note: Careme make a wonderful chocolate puff pastry. If unavailable this is still a lovely recipe but make sure you use butter puff pastry. If you do, when you scatter the pears and pastry with extra sugar, mix this with an equal quantity of cocoa powder.