Roasted pears with pomegranate and nuts
Serves 4 · 40 minutes · Frying pan and pie dish
Pear halves caramelised in butter and honey on the hob, then baked until soft in the oven in the same pan. A simple Christmas dessert served warm straight from the dish.
Roasted pears are halved pears browned in butter, honey and festive spices, then baked in the oven until tender and glossy with their own syrup. They are best made with firm pears that are given time to colour well on the cut side before going into the oven.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 50 g walnuts or pistachios
- 4 firm pears, such as Conference
- 40 g butter
- 3 tbsp runny honey or light brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 100 ml water
- Seeds from ½ pomegranate
- A few fresh mint leaves
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 °C. Toast the nuts in the dry pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, tip them out and chop roughly.
- Halve the pears lengthways and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon. The skin can stay on.
- Melt the butter in the pan over a medium heat and stir in the honey, cinnamon stick and star anise. When it bubbles, add the pears cut-side down and let them caramelise for 5–6 minutes until golden brown.
- Turn the pears cut-side up and pour the water around them. Put the pan in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. Baste with the syrup halfway through.
- Take the pan out with oven gloves, as both handles get hot. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, nuts and mint and serve warm straight from the pan with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Why it works
Carbon steel gets hot enough to caramelise the pears on the hob and then goes into the oven without a second thought, since the dish and handles are all steel. The low sides keep the buttery syrup around the fruit so it glazes rather than runs off.
FAQ
Which pears are best for roasting?
Firm varieties such as Conference or Concorde hold their shape best. Overripe pears tend to collapse in the oven.
Can I make roasted pears ahead?
Yes. Bake them a few hours in advance and reheat at 175 °C for about 10 minutes. Add the pomegranate, nuts and mint just before serving.
Honey or brown sugar?
Either works. Honey gives a glossy, floral glaze, while brown sugar gives a more toffee-like flavour.
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