Plucked from the tree they’re a juicy autumnal treat – but baked in a cake, pickled in a salad or grated into a burger, pears are even more sublime, as food writer James Rich shows in these stunning recipes from his latest book
PHOTOGRAPHS LAURA EDWARDS FOOD STYLING ROSIE RAMSDEN STYLING LOUIE WALLER
Pickled pears
Serves 4 Hands-on time 30 min, plus at least 24 hours pickling
MAKE AHEAD
These pears keep for up to 6 months in a sealed jar in the fridge, so it’s worth making a larger batch.
KNOW-HOW
If you can’t fit the pears into your jar, remove the stalks, then core and slice the pears into wedges.
• 2 firm pears, peeled but with stalks left on
• 70g caster sugar
• 300ml white wine vinegar
• 1 red chilli, halved lengthways
• 2 star anise
1 Put all the ingredients in a small pan with a pinch of sea salt and pour over enough water to cover the pears. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the pears are tender.
2 Meanwhile, heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Wash a large glass jar in warm soapy water, then put it in the oven with its lid for 10 minutes to sterilise.
3 Leave the pears to cool in their liquid. Put them into the warm but not hot jar, then fill the jar with the cooking liquid to cover the pears completely. Seal and leave to cool (see Know-how). Store in a cool, dark place. Leave at least 24 hours (preferably a week) before using.
Per serving 57kcals, 0.1g fat (trace saturated), 0.3g protein, 12.8g carbs (12.8g sugars), trace salt, 2g fibre
Pickled pear, roquefort and cobnut salad
Serves 4 Hands-on time 10 min
MAKE AHEAD
You can make the dressing up to 24 hours in advance – just give it a good whisk again to re-emulsify before pouring it over the salad.
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp hazelnut oil, or more olive oil
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 200g mixed salad leaves
• 120g cobnuts or hazelnuts, toasted in a dry pan and coarsely chopped
• 2 pickled pears, cut into wedges (see recipe, left)
• 150g roquefort or other blue cheese, cubed
1 First, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, hazelnut oil, vinegar and wholegrain mustard in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper (see Make Ahead).
2 In a large bowl, toss together the salad leaves, cobnuts, pickled pear wedges and dressing. Taste and season as necessary, then tumble onto a large serving platter.
3 Dot the cheese over the salad, then gently fold it in before serving.
Per serving 575kcals, 50.8g fat (11.9g saturated), 13.2g protein, 13.8g carbs (13.2g sugars), 1.6g salt, 4.7g fibre →
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