Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [76]
CHEF ANNE’S EGG WHITE (AND WHIPPED CREAM) PEAK-O-METER
Separating and whisking egg whites isn’t hard—but it does take some practice. First, when separating eggs, make sure that absolutely no yolk gets into the whites. If you’re going for yolks, it’s fine to have some whites mix in by accident, but if you get even the tiniest bit of yolk in your whites, they will never whip up.
To whisk egg whites, always add a pinch of salt—this helps them whip up faster and fluffier. Also, use the second-highest speed on your mixer, not the highest; this allows the whites to whip up more slowly and gives them more backbone (if you whisk whites too quickly, they whip up fast and fall fast!). To know whether the peaks are soft or stiff, use my peak-o-meter test (which works for whipped cream too): After whisking, take the bowl and whisk off the mixer, swirl the whisk around in the whites, then pull the whisk straight out and pause—then, after a second or two, tip the whisk on its side. If the peak sticking off the end of the whisk bends over or tilts down, that’s a soft peak. If it sticks straight out—that’s a stiff peak!
Pear Tarte Tatin with Shortbread Crust
SERVES: 6 TO 8 • TIME: ABOUT 2½ HOURS
This is the most amazing upside-down cake you’ll ever make. And if you don’t already know how, you’ll learn to make caramel—which used to scare me to death. I always worried about burning it. But making caramel does not have to be an intimidating process—you just have to pay attention. You also want to remember that this is a flipper situation; you need to make the bottom of your tart look pretty because it’s going to end up as the top.
MISE EN PLACE
FOR THE CRUST
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pea-size pieces
¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg yolk
FOR THE FILLING
¾ cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 pint heavy cream
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pats
12 seckel pears, peeled, cored, and halved
You can totally use apples here instead of pears. I recommend Granny Smith or any other tart, firm apple. I also recommend using fruit that’s not quite ripe because it’s going to get really soft as it cooks.
FOR THE CRUST
1 In a food processor, combine the butter, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse until it looks like finely grated Parmigiano cheese. Add the egg yolk and 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water, and pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture comes together into a ball. If it seems a bit dry, add 1 more tablespoon water and pulse a few more times.
2 Dump the mixture out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead it once or twice, until it comes together in a smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to an even circle, 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
FOR THE FILLING
1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2 Place the sugar, 3 tablespoons water, the lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a 10-inch ovenproof, nonstick sauté pan. Bring to medium heat and stir to combine.
3 Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil (BTB), brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in water. After 7 to 8 minutes the mixture will begin to turn light brown. Swish the pan around gently to promote even cooking and cook the mixture for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until it turns a deeper amber color. Keep your eye on this and don’t walk away; the sugar can burn quickly if you’re not paying attention.
4 Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and whisk to combine. Discard the cinnamon stick.
5 Whisk in the butter 2 pats at a time. The mixture will bubble up, but that’s okay, just be VERY CAREFUL not to let it splatter and burn you. When all of the butter has been incorporated, begin to arrange the pears in concentric circles as neatly and prettily as you can—remember, you’re going to flip it out.
6 Return the pan to the stove