French Tart, Native-Style at an Arizona Culinary Academy

Bertina Cadman (Diné) is a young cooking professional with a bright future. As assistant director of the new Native American Culinary Program at Classic Cooking Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, she is excited to be working with Academy Director Pascal Dionot, a classically trained French chef with more than 30 years of experience working in restaurants and as a culinary instructor.

The six-month program, the first of its kind, features a curriculum developed by Chef Dionot; Chef Nephi Craig (Diné/White Mountain Apache), founder of the Native American Culinary Association; Cadman, who has a bachelor of arts degree in history and Native American studies from Dartmouth College and a culinary arts degree from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute; and the team’s newest member, Freddie Bitsoie (Navajo), who also attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. The course, designed for high school graduates, was established to fill the growing need for Native American culinary professionals at casinos and other Southwestern Indian–owned, hospitality-oriented businesses. The program combines classic culinary training with in-depth study of indigenous foods and Native cooking traditions. Students learn the technical skills needed to work in a professional kitchen, and gain a knowledge and appreciation of their own rich culinary heritage that will help them to creatively incorporate local Southwestern foods in their cooking.

The pear tart that follows is a delicious example of the skillful blending of a classic French recipe with Native American ingredients. The almonds called for in traditional recipes for frangipane are replaced by the rich, subtle flavor of piñon nuts, and instead of a predictable vanilla-flavored custard sauce, this golden pear tart is served in a pool of fresh, crimson-colored prickly pear coulis.


Piñon and Pear Frangipane Tart with Prickly Pear Coulis  Serves 6

Sugar pastry crust (pâte sablée):
8 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

The most precise way to measure flour is to weigh it on a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, dip a dry-measure cup into the flour container, and, using the straight edge of a knife or spatula, sweep off excess flour even with the top of the cup. Place flour, butter, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat egg with vanilla. Add egg to flour and mix with fork until the dough begins to come together. Knead lightly and gather the dough into a ball.

Place dough on a lightly floured working surface and divide it into six portions. Using the heel of your hand, not the palm, rapidly press a portion of dough away from you in a firm, quick smear. This classic French technique brings about the final blending of the butter and flour. When all of the dough has been blended, scrape and gather it into a round disk. Dust dough lightly with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour until firm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick. Roll dough up on the pin and unroll it into a 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable sides. Gently lift the edges of dough and fit it into the pan, taking in about ½-inch of dough all around the circumference to make a sturdier top edge. Trim off excess by rolling the pin over the top of the pan. Press the dough ½-inch above the edge of the pan. Flute the top edge and prick the bottom of the pastry shell with the tines of a fork. Chill crust while making the frangipane filling.

Frangipane filling:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
4 ounces piñon (pine) nuts, lightly toasted, puréed in food processor
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons flour

With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add the puréed pine nuts and continue to beat at medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla, lemon zest, salt and flour. Frangipane may be made up to three days in advance, covered tightly and refrigerated.

Prickly pear sauce (coulis):
About 20 ripe red prickly pears
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Slice off both ends of prickly pears and cut a deep incision down the side of each one. Carefully peel off the rind, starting from your incision. Remember there are little stickers! The rind is thick, but if the fruit is ripe, it will peel away easily. Purée peeled fruit in a food processor. Press purée through a medium sieve or strainer into a bowl.

In a saucepan, combine 2/3 of purée with the sugar and orange zest. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to about half the original volume. Combine cooled mixture with remaining 1/3 of uncooked purée. Taste and season with lime juice and additional sugar if needed. Makes about 2 cups.

Assembling the tart:
3 to 4 ripe, firm pears
½ lemon
2 tablespoons sour cream, mixed with ½ teaspoon sugar and thinned with 2 to 3 teaspoons milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel, core and halve pears lengthwise. Rub with lemon, and cut halves lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Spread cooled frangipane evenly in the bottom of pastry shell. Arrange pears decoratively over filling, fanning slices slightly. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake tart on the middle rack of oven for 35 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and frangipane is puffed and lightly browned. Cool tart on a rack.

When it’s almost cool, place the tart on top of a coffee can and carefully remove the sides of pan. Cut tart into wedges. For an elegant presentation, spoon a pool of prickly pear coulis onto each dessert plate and set a wedge of tart on top. Place 3 to 5 dots of sour cream mixture on top of the red sauce and draw the point of a paring knife or toothpick through the dots to make a decorative design.

A source for prickly pears, available August to April, is:
Frieda’s by Mail
P.O. Box 58488
Los Angeles, CA 90058, 800/241-1771
www.freidas.com