Wine Wednesdays - 2013 Orin Swift Machete + Pear Tarte Tatin - Chardonnay Moi

Last month we gathered the “friendsgiving” group for one last girls’ dinner chez moi before Sarah moved west to that other coast.

For a spin on spring friendsgiving, I made this roasted turkey breast which was so easy and so tasty!

For dessert, I made this pear tarte tatin with red wine caramel sauce. I had an open bottle of 2013 Orin Swift Machete with just enough to use for the red wine caramel. It was such a delicious combination!

I had opened the wine 2 nights prior for taco night. This wine is the richest, purple color I’ve ever seen in a glass! Lucious like velvet; it literally stained my mouth! A mix of syrah, grenache, and petit syrah, the wine is full of dark, rich fruit and big bold flavor. At 15.5% alcohol one glass will sneak up on you!

The tarte was incredibly simple but seriously impressive. We start by making the red wine caramel. Sugar and water boil together until a light amber-colored caramel forms. This gets added to the red wine that has reduced down to a dark syrup.

Then we add the pear halves and cook until syrupy and tender.

Once caramelized, we cover the skillet with frozen puff pastry, I splurged for Dufour’s and I really think it made all the difference.

Pop in the oven for about an hour until the crust is a golden brown.

After letting the tarte cool, we invert onto a plate to reveal the beautiful pears.

Cut and serve with fresh whipped cream!

Pear Tarte Tatin with Red-Wine Caramel
Recipe courtesy of Food and Wine

Ingredients:
2 cups dry red wine
2 cinnamon sticks (I used 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
5 firm, ripe Bartlett pears – peeled, cored, and halved (I could have used a 6th)
One 14oz all-butter puff pastry, chilled

Directions:

In a small saucepan, boil the wine and cinnamon over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Approx. 15 minutes.

In a 12 inch skillet (I used my cast iron that is slightly bigger) combine the sugar and water. Cook over moderately high heat, swirling pan occasionally until a light amber caramel forms, approx. 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the red wine syrup along with butter and stir to dissolve the hardened caramel. Add the pear halves to the skillet and cook over low heat, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender and pan juices are syrupy, about 20 minutes. Arrange pears cut side up in the skillet with thin ends pointing to the center. Let cool for 30 minutes. (I let my pears cool completely and then covered with foil and refrigerated until the next day).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out the puff pastry to a 13 inch square. Drape pastry over top of skillet and tuck ends around the pears. Cut four 2-inch vents across the top. Bake for 1 hour or until pastry is deeply golden and risen. Let the tarte cool in the skillet for 15 minutes then invert onto a large serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream would be lovely too!

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