Sushi Tart

“Is that SUSHI?!” was the horrified response of most people when they first saw this bittersweet chocolate tart topped with what does appear to be raw fish of some kind.
This photo definitely requires that you, Gentle Reader (my apologies to Judith Martin), do not judge a book by the cover that this inexperienced-marinator-of-pears produced. This tart is a dense chocolate dream topped with pears that were supposed to be thoroughly marinated in Zinfandel. It’s just that the “thoroughly” part didn’t really pan out when I was at the helm during the marinating stage.

Fortunately, even those taste testers who were wary of its presentation could not deny the rich chocolate flavor that unfolded after the first bite. 

Rating: 5 (assuming you don’t mess up the pears)

Here’s why: The texture and flavor of this tart is like the inside of a dark chocolate Godiva truffle. Only it’s better because you get a lot more chocolate in one slice of this than you would in one of those little boxes of truffles that doesn’t have enough to hit the chocolate-craving spot. (Why is it that gourmet chocolates only come in boxes of not-enough or way-too-many?)

One of my primary questions when tackling this tart was whether it would be better than a flourless chocolate cake. I wasn’t sure if it was worth adding a chocolate tart recipe to a repertoire of perfectly good flourless chocolate cakes (which fit the really-dense-and-tons-of-chocolate-per-slice category). It is. The tart is denser, creamier, and has a hearty crust to soften the impact of all that dark chocolate - unlike a flourless chocolate cake. This is one of those recipes that I would encourage pretty much anyone who loves chocolate to try. If you do, you will find that even if the pears aren’t perfectly marinated, the tart will be no less the edible for it.

Highs (or, more reasons you should make this):
Honestly, it’s really the perfect decadent chocolate dessert, in my opinion. This is my favorite recipe to date because after just one bite I had the “wow” reaction that comes only with a truly rich, dark-chocolate dessert. It has a very strong flavor, but the creamy texture and the crunchy crust provide and also combine for a great texture experience on the tongue.
Tarts are also harder to mess up, presentation-wise than other desserts but are more impressive than brownies and easier than cakes. Also, because this is simply a rich chocolate tart with very little competing flavor, you could swap out the pears for any fruit that can reasonably be paired with chocolate, or add a dollop of whipped cream for a simple, elegant touch.

Lows:
Obviously, the semi-marinated pears. What I didn’t know before going into this marinating situation was that even if the pears have turned a nice shade of reddish-pink on the outside, the inside has not necessarily been thoroughly marinated. I was in a bit of a rush during the process and didn’t have time to let them soak any longer than the time indicated in the recipe. Plus, as the pears started to soften, I worried that I’d end up with a Pear Mush Tart (so instead I got Sushi Tart – not sure which is worse).
It’s also not a recipe to attempt if you’re short on time or have to do it all in one day. Why? For starters, the tart shell dough has to relax in the fridge for at least 3 hours and then again after being rolled out, and finally once more after being prepped in the pan, I recommend starting this at least one day in advance of when you want to serve it. However, don’t skip this step because unless dough has had time to “relax” in the fridge after being mixed, rolled, and prepped in the pan, it will shrink during baking and ruin the tart.

Bittersweet Chocolate Custard Tart with Zinfandel Soaked Pears
(AKA Sushi Tart)

Chocolate Tart Shell Dough

• 1 ½ c. all-purpose flour



• ½ c. granulated sugar



• 6 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1-T. pieces



• 4 T. unsweetened cocoa



• Pinch of salt



• 3 T. brewed coffee, chilled



• 1 c. rice or pie weights (to prevent the crust from bubbling up while it’s baking)

Zinfandel Soaked Pears

• 1 ½ c. Zinfandel wine

½ c. water

½ c. granulated sugar

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. orange juice

4 ripe Bartlett pears

Chocolate Custard Filling

• 2 Zinfandel-soaked pear halves



• 1 c. heavy cream



• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces



• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces



• 4 eggs



• ¼-c. granulated sugar



• 1 t. pure vanilla extract



• ¼ t. salt

Equipment:

• 9 ½-inch x ¾-inch false-bottom tart pan



• Food processor with metal blade



• Instant-read test thermometer/candy thermometer

Instructions:

Chocolate Tart ShellMix 1 c. flour, ½ c. sugar, butter, cocoa, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low for 5 minutes, until the butter is “cut into” the flour and the mixture develops a fine, mealy texture. Add coffee and continue to mix on low until the mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Remove the dough from the mixer and form it into a smooth, round ball. Wrap in film wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
After the tart shell dough has relaxed in the refrigerator for 3 hours, transfer it to a clean, dry, lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough (using the extra ½ c. of flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking) into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch to ¼ inch thick. Refrigerate the rolled dough (leaving it on the parchment paper) for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the rolled dough into the tart pan. Carefully remove the parchment paper and gently press the dough around the bottom and sides of the pan. Cut away excess dough, leaving a ¾-inch border that should be crimped around the top edge of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325. Line the dough with an 18 inch x 18 inch piece of aluminum foil (using 2 pieces of foil if necessary); weigh down the foil with the 1 cup of rice or pie weights (evenly spread over the foil). Bake the tart shell in the center of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, rotating it 180 degrees after 20 minutes. Remove the baked tart shell from the oven, discard the foil and rice/pie weights, and allow to cool at room temperature. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Zinfandel Soaked PearsPlace the Zinfandel, water, ½ c. sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan. Whisk to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
Peel one pear. Cut the pear in half from stem end to bottom. Core each half (preferably with a melon ball/parisienne scoop) Place the 2 halves into the Zinfandel mixture. Repeat this procedure with the remaining pears, immediately placing the peeled and cored pear halves into the Zinfandel. Heat the pears over medium-low heat until they are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes (turn the pears once or twice while they are cooking).
Note:Depending on the size of the pears, it may be necessary to add up to 1 cup of water to poach the pears. In any case, the poaching liquid should almost cover the pears. If pears discolor after being removed from the ice water, they probably were not cooked through; otherwise, they should not discolor for at least 24 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pear halves to a bowl of ice water. Handle the soaked pears gently when cooling in ice water. If the pears are moved too vigorously into the ice water, the surface will become cut and bruised.
When cool, remove the pears from the water and drain them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Reserve 2 pear halves for the chocolate custard filling. Cover the remaining pears with film wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Chocolate Custard Filling
Place 2 pear halves in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree the pears by pulsing for 20 to 30 seconds. Hold at room temperature until needed.
Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the heavy cream, semisweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in the top half of a double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.
Place the eggs, pureed pear, ¼ c. sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high for 1 minute. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat on medium for 20 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the salt, and use a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly. Pour the filling into the prebaked tart shell. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the internal temperature of the tart filling reaches 170 degrees (use the thermometer to determine internal temperature). Remove the tart from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour (do not remove from the tart pan).


Garnishing and Serving
First, cut the tart with a serrated slicer. Heat the blade of the slicer under hot running water before making each slice. Second, remove the pear halves from the refrigerator. Cut each half into a quarter by slicing the half from stem end to bottom. Make a fan out of each quarter by cutting 1/8-inch slices starting ¼ of an inch from the stem end. Gently press down on the slices to produce a fan effect. Decorate the top of each tart slice with a pear fan and serve.
The tart may be kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before serving. The pears should be cooked and used within 24 hours, though.