It is the perfect time of year to get roasting and don’t forget to throw seasonal fruit in the oven to enjoy it at it’s sweet, caramelized best.
I love a roast pear and now they are hitting the market in full force and prices are low, it’s the perfect time to use them.
You can play with this recipe by substituting the maple syrup for honey, change up the spices and even omit the extra sugar. However you do it, just don’t forget Gilbert’s house made ice cream to dollop on the side!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Syrup
250ml maple syrup
150g raw sugar
60g butter, diced
Thinly sliced peel of half an orange
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of ½ lemon
4 cinnamon quills
4 cardamom pods bruised (optional)
½ tsp grated fresh nutmeg (optional)
3 slices of lemon
Pears
4 ripe pears, unpeeled (I used Bosc pears)
¼ cup pecans, toasted (8 minutes at 180℃ in the oven or toast in a pan over low heat until aromatic)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220℃
- Combine syrup ingredients in a roasting pan large enough to fit halved pears snugly in a single layer, and
place in the oven so the butter and maple syrup can melt (1-2 minutes). - Meanwhile, halve pears and scoop out cores.
- Stir maple syrup mixture in the roasting pan to combine, add pears cut side down and roast, turning halfway through cooking, until tender and caramelised (20-25 minutes, depending on firmness of the fruit; check every 5 minutes after the first 15).
- Serve warm pears sprinkled with toasted pecans, drizzled with syrup and finished with Gilbert’s French Vanilla or Salted Caramel Ice Cream.
Tip:
These pears are also great with porridge, yogurt, rice pudding or baked into a frangipane tart.
