Pears and chocolate are a lovely combination, which James makes the most of in this riff on the classic tarte Tatin.
For this recipe you will need an ice cream maker.
For the white chocolate ice cream, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until combined.
Heat the milk and cream in a pan until just starting to boil. Pour over the egg yolks and whisk well. Pour back into the pan and return to the heat. Warm until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Put the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the custard mixture through a sieve onto the white chocolate and stir well until the chocolate has melted. Allow the mixture to cool, then pour into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
For the rough puff pastry, place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. When the flour and butter mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add 125ml/4½fl oz ice-cold water. Mix it in using a palette knife to keep the mixture cool. When the mixture comes together to form a dough, turn it out onto a clean, floured work surface and knead briefly until just smooth.
Form the dough into a rectangular block (this will make it easier to roll out later), wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll the chilled dough out onto a clean, floured surface into a rectangle about 40x20cm/16x8in. Fold one-third of the dough into the centre, then fold the other third over that. Give the pastry a quarter turn and repeat the rolling and folding. Wrap the pastry block in cling film, refrigerate for 20 minutes then roll and fold another 2 times. Wrap the pastry block in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
For the pear tart, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the pears, lemon zest, seeds from 1 vanilla pod, cinnamon, orange peel and 25g/1oz of the sugar in a saucepan. Fill the saucepan with enough water to just cover the pears. Heat the pears gently until the mixture is simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the pears are just tender. Drain the pears and pat dry. Discard the cinnamon and orange peel.
Heat the remaining 85g/3oz sugar in a 24cm/9½in ovenproof frying pan over a low heat until it melted and a deep golden-brown. Stir in the butter, cream and the remaining vanilla seeds.Heat gently until the mixture forms a smooth caramel. Place the pears into the caramel, cut-side up.
On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled pastry to a thickness of 5mm/¼in. Cut the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the frying pan.
Place the pastry circle over the pears, tucking the edges of the pastry inside the pan to surround the pears. Transfer to the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is risen, golden-brown and cooked through. Once cooked, set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
For the chocolate sauce, put the sugar and 110ml/3¾fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until all the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
To serve, invert the tarte Tatin onto a serving plate. Slice the Tatin and divide between serving plates. Top each slice with a scoop of ice cream and some chocolate sauce.
