Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
• 2.
  Cut thawed and chilled puff pastry sheet in half crossways to create 2 smaller rectangles. Prick all over with a fork, then place one sheet over the other to form a cross shape. Return to the fridge and keep chilled until ready to use.
• 3.
  Sprinkle sugar evenly over the base of a 20cm ovenproof frypan. Place over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes, or until you start to see the sugar dissolve around edges of pan and turn light golden. Using a heatproof spatula, stir for 1-2 minutes, until all sugar has dissolved and turned a deep golden colour (sugar may crystallise but it will dissolve later when adding the butter and pears). Add butter and stir constantly until butter melts and is well combined with the caramel, then add pear. Cook, turning pear occasionally, for 2 minutes to coat well in the mixture. Add cardamom, orange juice and zest and cook, gently shaking pan, for 1 minute, or until mixture bubbles and reduces slightly. Remove pan from heat and stand for 5 minutes.
• 4.
  Carefully turn pears so they are all facing cut-side up in pan and are nestled in fairly tight, side by side and in a single layer.
• 5.
  Cover pears with the pastry cross, tucking edges down inside pan, then use the tip of a small sharp knife to make 5 small slits in pastry to help steam escape.
• 6.
  Bake for 1 hour, or until pastry is cooked and deep golden, and juice from pears has bubbled up and formed a very deep golden brown syrup and deep golden brown crust around pastry edge.
• 7.
  Remove pan from oven and stand for 5 minutes, then run the tip of a small sharp knife around edge of pan to release the pastry. Carefully but quickly, flip tarte out onto a serving plate. (Adjust any pears back into their pastry position if they slip out of place during this process.)
• 8.
  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.