Pear and Fennel Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Oat Crème Anglaise

01

Ingredients

• 320 g vegan puff pastry, thawed but cold
• 3 firm-ripe Bosc pears, about 540 g total
• 1 small fennel bulb, about 180 g, fronds reserved
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 45 g vegan butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 400 ml barista-style oat milk
• 45 g granulated sugar
• 18 g cornstarch
• 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 40 g blanched hazelnuts
• 4 small fennel fronds
• 1 tbsp aquafaba
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

02

Prepare the dish

1. Heat the oven to 200 C. Lightly grease four 10 cm oven-safe tart pans or shallow ramekins. Roll the puff pastry to 4 mm thick, cut four 11 cm rounds and chill them on a lined tray.
2. Peel, halve and core the pears, then cut each half into four wedges. Trim the fennel and slice it lengthwise into paper-thin pieces, reserving four attractive fronds.
3. Cook 120 g sugar in a wide saucepan over medium heat without stirring until it becomes a deep amber caramel. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in 45 g vegan butter, lemon juice and salt.
4. Divide the caramel among the tart pans. Arrange six pear wedges in a tight rosette in each pan, slipping a few fennel slices between the wedges. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
5. Lay one cold pastry round over each pan, tuck the edge down around the fruit and prick the centre twice. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden. Rest for exactly 5 minutes, then invert each tart onto a small tray.
6. For the crème anglaise, whisk 45 g sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the oat milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla and 1 tablespoon vegan butter. Pass through a fine sieve and keep warm.
7. Toast the hazelnuts for 7 minutes, cool and chop into fine crumbs. Brush the fennel fronds lightly with aquafaba, dust with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake on parchment for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.