4Anjou, Bosc or Bartlett pears(just-ripe but firm)
All-purpose flour for rolling out the pastry
1sheet frozen puff pastry(½ of a 17.3 ounce package), thawed according to package directions, but still slightly chilled
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, stir together the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture starts to turn golden about 6 minutes. Stir in the butter, and continue stirring occasionally until the mixture is a rich golden color. Stir in the lemon juice.
While the sugar mixture is cooking, slice the pears in half, then into quarters, remove the cores with a paring knife, and cut the halves lengthwise into 2 thick slices each (so, 8 slices total per pear). When the sugar mixture is golden, arrange the pear slices in concentric circles in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the pears are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll out the puff pastry to a square slightly larger then the diameter of the pan you are using. Trim the pastry into a circle just barely larger than the circumference of the pan, and prick the puff pastry in several places with a fork. Place the pastry over the pears and carefully tuck the edges around the tops of the pears (you may want to use a rubber spatula, as the pan will be hot). Bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet, place a serving plate (larger than the pan) on top of the pan, and carefully invert the tart tatin onto the plate. If any pears clung to the pan, remove them, and place them back in their rightful spots. Let cool a bit more, then serve warm, with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
Best Pears for Tart Tatin
You want your pears to be just ripe, but not soft. They need to hold their shape in the baking. Try Anjou, Bosc or Bartlett pears.