Ruby Pear, Hazelnut and Fontina Tart
One 9” tart (inspired by Dorie Greenspan)
Hazelnut Tart Dough
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup hazelnut flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
½ tsp kosher salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, very cold, either grated or cut into small dice
1 large egg
1 tsp very cold water
Filling:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
½ tsp kosher salt and 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ cup shredded (or grated) fontina cheese
3 medium ruby-skinned pears
¼ cup hazelnuts (toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped)
1) In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, the hazelnut flour, and the salt. Pulse 4-5 times to combine. Add the diced (or grated) butter all at once, and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse sand. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water with a fork and then add to the dry mix, pulsing until the mix gathers into a bowl. Remove the dough and roll into a 12-inch circle. Place the rolled dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom, press into place, leaving the overhang. Set on a parchment-lined sheet pan and chill for at least two hours.
2) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the tart shell (directly from the refrigerator) for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is set and beginning to brown. Remove the shell from the oven, trim the edges even with the top of the tart pan, and let cool for ten minutes.
3) Toast the hazelnut is a non-stick skillet until the skin darkens and crack. Remove from the heat, let cool, rub the nuts together to remove the skins and then coarsely chop.
4) In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and honey. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, add the cream and lightly whisk to combine. Add the salt, black pepper and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese and set aside.
5) Slice the pears in half, remove the core with a melon baller, then slice each half into 6-8 slices.
6) Spread the honey mustard evenly on the bottom of the tart shell
7) Pour 2/3 of the custard over the honey mustard. Arrange all the pear slices over the custard as desired (circles is easy). Top with the remaining custard and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded fontina over the pears and filling. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove briefly and scatter the chopped hazelnuts over the top and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the filled is puffed and starting to brown.
8) Let the tart cool on a wire rack for thirty minutes before removing the tart ring.
9) Serve warm, or room temperature, with an arugula salad.
