From my good friend Natalie Bourdeau-Legris comes this tantalizing and totally unexpected creation – A Pork and Pear Tart filled with mouth watering goodness, an incredible discovery on my continuing Taste Odyssey!

Serves 4

What You Need

* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 5 ounces pork sausage, casings removed (or ground pork)
* 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, 1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* 1/2 medium green cabbage, about 1/2 pound, cored and shredded
* 2 dried juniper berries, slightly crushed with the flat side of a large knife (optional)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 cup cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
* Short Pastry Crust (see previous foto)
* All-purpose flour, for work surface
* 4 pears
* 1 egg yolk (for brushing crust)

What You Need To Do

1. Cook the meat
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage/pork; cook until well browned, about 3 minutes, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Add chopped onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add sage; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute more. Transfer to a medium bowl; season with pepper. Stir in cheese; set aside.

2. Cook the Cabbage
Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in cabbage, juniper berries, bay leaf, cider vinegar, and sugar, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen any browned bits. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard juniper berries and bay leaf.

3. Make the pie shell
Roll 3/4 of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Line a 13-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or any pan close to this) with dough, allowing dough to drape over edges.

4. Prep the pears
Using an apple corer, remove 3/4 of the core from each pear, leaving stem end intact. Remove another tablespoon flesh from each cavity. Spoon 2 tablespoons sausage/pork mixture into cavity of each pear; set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Assemble pie: Spread cabbage mixture in an even layer over dough. Set stuffed pears on top. Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out four 2-inch circles from dough along centerline, where you will place the pears. Place dough over pie, with pears poking through the holes. Gently crimp edges of dough to seal.

6. Whisk egg yolk in a small bowl. Brush crust with egg wash. Bake pie on a rimmed baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes.

Tags: interesting baking ideas, poirs et porc, tarte