Difficulty: 4/5
Roll out the shortcrust pastry to 3 mm thickness and cut out 6 cm diameter discs. Brush the tops with egg yolk and bake at 170°C for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, pipe Chantilly cream (whipped vanilla cream) on top of each shortbread disc using a piping bag.
Candied pears: Peel the pears and form balls using a melon baller. Vacuum-seal with syrup, lemon juice, and spices. Cook for 12 minutes in a steam oven (or wrapped in foil if unavailable).
Pear tempura: Mix sifted flour and ice water into a smooth batter. Slice pears 3 mm thick using a mandoline. Dip slices in the batter and fry in oil at 180°C until golden.
To plate: Arrange two tempura pear slices and a few candied pear balls per plate. Top with a shortbread disc featuring vanilla Chantilly cream. Garnish with a vanilla stick and star anise piece.
