BAKED PEARS IN VERJUICE
Baking pears is a wonderful way to cook up a few at the one time and have on hand for a multitude of serving options. Serve warm straight from the oven with cooking juices drizzled over with dollop of cream. The pears make a delicious accompaniment to a custard dessert or something like a Basque cheesecake. Then for breakfast serve the pears atop steaming porridge or granola. Adding the verjuice cuts through the sweetness and adding some fennel seeds adds a subtle anise flavour.
serves 4-6
4 Buerre Bosc ripe pears
⅓ cup verjuice
⅓ cup honey
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, or a tablespoon of fresh fennel fronds
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). Have ready a ceramic baking dish (about 22cm x 18cm) with lid, or alternatively use a roasting dish lined with baking paper.
Halve the pears lengthways. Depending on the size, cut each half into three wedges or two wedges. Spread the wedges in a single layer across the base of chosen baking dish. Sprinkle over the fennel seeds, or the fronds, if using.
Place the honey and verjuice in a small saucepan over a low heat. Gently warm until honey and verjuice are combined. Do not boil. Pour the mixture over the pears. Place a sheet of baking paper over the top, then cover with the lid, or a sheet of foil and seal around the edges. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender soft. The cooking time will be longer for very firm pears. Remove the lid, or foil and the sheet of baking paper. Carefully pour the cooking juices back into the saucepan. Return the baking dish with pears to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes until the pears become golden brown around the edges.
Serve warm with ice-cream, yoghurt or crème fraiche with the cooking juices spooned over.
To keep, store the pears with cooking juices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week
Other serving suggestions:
- serve pears with porridge or granola
- serve alongside baked cheescake
- add pears to cake mixtures
Recipe by Fiona Hammond, September 2022
