The dessert below was the winner in our first dessert pairing competition held at the Nikko hotel in 1988. Head judge Harvey Steiman noted: “The dessert looked sweet but it wasn’t. As a fruit tart, it wasn’t sweet. As a cheese tart, it was unusually mellow. The dessert formed a perfect ‘frame’ for the Elysium.
If you enjoy making tarts, you will especially enjoy this recipe for it’s simplicity and delicacy.
Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
4 oz butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated blanched almonds
Cream together flour and butter. Combine remaining ingredients and add to flour and butter mixture. Roll out crust to about 1/8” thickness and place in tart pan. Prebake with parchment paper and pie weights (uncooked rice can be used for pie weights) until about 50% baked.
Poached Pears:
4 pears
1-2 cups Elysium
2 cups blueberries
1/4 tsp. salt
Poach 4 pears in a mixture of sugar syrup and Elysium. Fan the pears and line the bottom of the tart with them. Fill with the berries.
Custard:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup softened Roquefort
Combine flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix in eggs to make a paste. Add milk and cream. Add Roquefort. Pour custard over fruit and bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes. Serve with a slice of Roquefort, a piece of poached pear and a glass of Elysium.