Roquefort Pear Tart

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 250 g flour
• 150 g butter
• 3 eggs
• Salt
• 150 g Roquefort (milder version: Gorgonzola)
• 150 g mascarpone
• Pepper, white
• 75 g walnuts, chopped
• 1 kg pear(s), firm, aromatic

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Pear and cheese complement each other deliciously…

Knead the flour, 125g butter, 1 egg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a shortcrust pastry and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Separate the remaining eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Mash the Roquefort (or Gorgonzola) with a fork, stir in the egg yolks and mascarpone. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the beaten egg whites and 50g nuts. Peel, quarter, and core the pears, and cut them into thin slices. Melt the remaining butter. Lightly grease a 26cm springform pan with butter, line it with the pastry, forming a 3cm-high rim. Prick the pastry several times with a fork. Pour in the cheese mixture. Place the pear slices close together and brush with lemon juice and butter. Bake the cake on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 200°C for about 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top. Let the cake rest in the uncovered oven for another 10 minutes and serve lukewarm. A great recipe for Roquefort lovers. However, if the Roquefort flavor is too strong for you, Gorgonzola is a better option. I’m leaning towards the softer version, too, after baking the Roquefort version for a party once. It had its absolute fans, as well as its absolute detractors. Everyone loved it with Gorgonzola.