Some fruits are the subject of children's TV shows, others are the muse of Beatles songs. Some claim to ward off the doctor, inspire the nickname of an entire country, or even have superfood powers.
And then there is the pear.
The quiet, humble pear. Whose shape is often mocked, but who just gets on with the business of being super-high in fibre and a rich source of potassium and copper, of all things. Still, nothing very sexy about the pear.
Pears create soft, subtle desserts that gently massage, rather than hit, the sweet spot.
Except pears are very easy to get along with. They complement virtually any other food, because they're sweet, but not too sweet, and flavoursome, but not overbearingly so. As a result, pears add just the right amount of sweetness to balance complex savoury dishes and create soft, subtle desserts that gently massage, rather than hit, the sweet spot.
It's fair to say that it's time the world started taking the pear more seriously. Here's how to start your new love affair.
Savour them
Beef bulgogi
Chopped green pear provides a little acidity and sweetness to cut through the rich, dark flavours of this Korean favourite. Koreans are happy pear consumers, using them in many dishes to achieve balance.
Pork chop, pear and mustard
Fatty pork, sweet pear and spicy mustard all mingle together rather nicely in this dish. A perfect winter dinner that can be prepared in stages and easily finished when you are ready to eat.
Chicken with pears, chestnuts and port
This could well be the perfect autumn dish. Mushrooms, chestnuts and pears (beurre bosc are good here) get sloshed on port and mellow completely out. You can practically taste the lush, mossy forest in every bite.
Pear, parsnip and potato soup
Parsnips and pears go particularly well together. It's like the dynamic relationship between beets and apples, turned down about 20 decibels. This is never better demonstrated than in this simple, warming soup, where the subtle pear sweetness is allowed to shine.
Sweeten them
Pear tarte Tartin
The tarte Tartin is famously made with apples, but in this recipe, caramelised pears show that pears can outshine apples whenever called for. The pleasant sweetness blends nicely with the sugared shortcrust pastry.
Chocolate, pear and almond tart
Maggie Beer's chocolate tart is sinfully rich thanks to almond meal, cream and pears. The pears are poached in Verjuice, with crushed bay leaves and a pinch of saffron adding complexity.
Pear and Brazil nut brownies
Adding pears into your brownie mix makes for a cake that's moist and just-sweet-enough. These gluten-free brownies are full of more good stuff like dates, eggs, almonds, Brazil nuts and 70% dark chocolate. They're practically a health food.
Seeded banana and pear loaf
Give banana bread a hint of sweet by including grated pears in the mix. Add a little malt rice syrup, and refined sugar won't be needed. You can easily freeze slices of this loaf for later.
Eggy bread with pear
Whoever decided that stuffing French toast with poached pears was a good idea can take a bow. Just quietly, tinned pears work just as well in this simple dish. Shhhh...
Caramelised pear scones
Thin slices of pear add a twist to a classic afternoon tea treat. The sweetness of the pear means you can skip the jam, but never the softly-whipped cream.
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