Roasted Pears
A pear hitting its peak ripeness is fleeting. Roasting them extends that window, turning the fruit into something deeper and more structural than a raw slice.
Texture is everything.
Select pears that are firm to the touch; if they are already soft, they will dissolve into mush before the sugars have a chance to turn.
- shallow baking dish or heavy skillet
- paring knife
- basting spoon
What goes in.
- 4Bosc or Anjou pears, halved lengthwise and cored
- 3 tbspunsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cuplight brown sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1/2 tspground cinnamon
- pinchsea salt
Managing the syrup
As the butter melts and combines with the juices released by the pears, use your spoon to coat the cut sides every ten minutes. This ensures the fruit glazes rather than simply drying out.
The method.
Prepare the oven and fruit
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Use a melon baller to scoop out the core and stem cleanly from each pear half.
Arrange and season
Place the pears cut-side up in your baking dish. Distribute the butter cubes into the hollowed-out centers. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt evenly over the fruit.
Roast and glaze
Place in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You are looking for the edges to turn a dark, mahogany brown and the centers to be soft enough to pierce easily with a fork.
Rest
Let the pears sit in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. The liquid in the bottom of the pan will thicken into a syrup during this rest.
Other turns to take.
Savory Finish
Add a sprig of fresh thyme to the pan before roasting and substitute a portion of the sugar with a small drizzle of honey and a grind of black pepper.
With Nut Crumble
Scatter chopped walnuts or hazelnuts over the pears during the final 10 minutes of roasting for an added textural contrast.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sugar begins to smoke or darken too quickly, cover the dish loosely with foil for the remainder of the time.
Keep the skin on; it provides the structural integrity needed to keep the pear from collapsing.
The pears are done when the flesh appears slightly translucent near the edges.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use very ripe pears?
It is not recommended. Over-ripe pears will lose their shape completely under the heat required to caramelize the sugar.
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