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La Poire
Conrad Knutsen
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La Belle Cuisine
Ginger-Chocolate Ganache Tart
with
Poached Pears
Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home
by Charlie Trotter, 2000, Ten Speed Press
 
Serves 8
Tart
Shell
6 tablespoons unsalted butter,
room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sifted unsweetened
cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
Filling
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup preserved ginger
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Pears
2 cups white wine
2 sticks cinnamon
8 black peppercorns
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 small pears, peeled, halved, and cored
To
prepare the tart shell: Using
an electric mixer or by hand, cream
the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and
salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add
the
cocoa powder and mix well. Add
the flour and mix until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a lightly
floured work surface and shape it into a
ball. Cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out the
dough 1/8 inch
thick, and then press it into an 8- or 9-inch tart pan,
trimming any
excess. Prick the dough several times with a fork and bake
for 15 to 20
minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven
and cool
completely.
To
make the filling: Place
the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl.
Bring the cream and fresh
ginger to a boil in a medium saucepan over
medium heat, strain the mixture
through a fine sieve over the chocolate,
and discard the ginger. Let the
chocolate mixture stand for 3 minutes,
and
then whisk until smooth. Fold
in the preserved ginger and pour the
mixture into the tart shell.
Refrigerate for 3 hours. Dust the tart with
cocoa powder and cut into 8
slices.
To
prepare the pears: Combine
the wine, cinnamon sticks, pepper-
corns
and brown sugar in a medium
saucepan. Add the pears and bring
to a
simmer over medium heat. Simmer for
15 minutes, or until the
pears
are tender.
Place
a slice of the tart in the center of each plate, and top it with a
poached
pear half.
Insights:
This rich, intensely chocolate ganache also makes wonderful
truffles. Prepare the ganache according to the recipe, pour into a bowl,
and refrigerate.
Once it has hardened, form the truffles by using a small
scoop or melon baller.
The truffles can be rolled in cocoa powder or dipped
in melted chocolate.
More from
'Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home'
Chef Charlie Trotter
R.I.P
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