Spiced Poached Pear Pie - Carême Pastry

Ingredients

• 2 (435g packets) Sweet Vanilla Shortcrust Pastry, defrosted
• 1 bottle (750ml) dry rosé wine
• ½ cup caster sugar + 2 tablespoons + extra for baking
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half with seeds scraped
• 6 cardamom pods, bruised
• 1.5kg (approx. 9) small, firm but ripe, pears – Bartlett or Buerre Bosc Pears work well
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Pinch of salt
• 60g sweet crisp biscuits (we use Almond Thins), crushed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 24cm fluted edge pie dish or metal tin
• Large saucepan
• Peeler
• Whisk
• Paring knife (or pastry/pizza wheel)
• Fondant leaf cutters or cookie cutters (to decorate)
• Baking paper
• Pastry brush
• Unroll one sheet of pastry and line a 24cm fluted edge pie dish with the pastry. Top the base with the crushed biscuits, then set it aside in the fridge to chill as you prepare the filling.
• Position your oven baking rack in the lowest oven rack, and while the oven is still cold, place a pizza stone on top (see tips at the end of this recipe).
• Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional) using the bottom heat function (if you have it).