Savoury Pear and Roquefort Tarte Tatin

STEP 1: RUB IN THE BUTTER

Cut the cold cubed butter into the strong white bread flour and a pinch of fine salt with a round-bladed knife, keeping the butter in small flecks — do not let it melt into the flour.

STEP 2: BRING THE DOUGH TOGETHER

Add the lemon juice to the ice-cold water and stir into the flour with the knife until a rough dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

STEP 3: FIRST FOLD

Roll the dough into a rectangle about three times as long as it is wide. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a letter, and press the edges. That is fold one.

STEP 4: SECOND FOLD AND REST

Turn the dough 90°, roll out again and repeat the fold for fold two. Rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.

STEP 5: FINISH THE FOLDS

Continue rolling and folding to six folds in total, resting again in the fridge after the fourth fold.

STEP 6: CHILL THE PASTRY

Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Let the pastry stand at room temperature before rolling, and cut a baking parchment template slightly larger than your pan.

STEP 7: HEAT THE OVEN AND PREP THE PEARS

Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). Peel, halve and core the pears, then cut each half into three. Let them air-dry — a little browning is fine, as they will caramelise.

STEP 8: START THE CARAMEL

Melt the soft brown sugar gently in the tatin pan over low heat until golden, swirling the pan — do not stir, as stirring is what crystallises the caramel.

STEP 9: FINISH THE CARAMEL

Turn up the heat, add the unsalted butter and sherry vinegar and let it bubble for about a minute as the vinegar sharpness lifts, then take off the heat.

STEP 10: LAYER THE FILLING

Arrange the pear slices in a fan, narrow ends to the centre. Scatter over the walnuts and lemon thyme. Crumble in the full 150 g of Roquefort, tucking some between and beneath the pears as well as over the top, so the cheese reads all the way through the finished tart without burying the pear.

STEP 11: TOP WITH PASTRY

Lift the pastry over the filling with the rolling pin, tuck the edges down inside the pan and make two knife pricks to vent.

STEP 12: BAKE

Slide a shallow tray of water into the base of the oven, then bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and well puffed. Resist opening the oven early, to protect the lamination.

STEP 13: REST AND TURN OUT

Rest for 10 minutes. Holding a serving plate firmly over the pan with oven gloves, invert in one confident motion. Lift off the pan and decorate with lemon thyme sprigs.