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Combine the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon in an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide. Place it over high heat and cook until the mixture is bubbling.
Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce. Keep cooking until it separates and the sugar caramelizes to a deep, toffee color.
Nestle the pears into the hot caramel. Cook them in the sauce for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are completely caramelized and deeply burnished. Don't be afraid to let them get very dark here; you want as much caramelization as possible.
Pour in the brandy and let it flambé, then carefully remove the pears from the pan and set them aside.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas 6).
Roll out the puff pastry until it's about the thickness of a £1 coin. Find a plate that's slightly larger than the top of your frying pan, and use it to cut out a pastry circle. Press the edges of this circle to thin them out slightly.
Carefully drape the prepared pastry over the arranged pears. Tuck the edges down along the pan sides and under the fruit. Pierce the pastry a few times with a fork, then bake for 15 minutes. If you notice a lot of juice bubbling up the side of the pan, you can carefully pour it off at this point.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas 4) and continue baking for another 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Let the tart stand for 10 minutes before inverting it carefully onto a serving dish.
Per serving
Allergen information is derived automatically from the ingredient list and is a guide, not a guarantee. Always check the packaging of the products you cook with.
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