ALL-PURPOSE PEARS

With a mellow sweetness, this orchard fruit works well in sweet and savory dishes. Rosie Birkett shares her favourite new ideas for cooking with pears

I think I’ve underestimated the power of the pear in the past. It’s easy for them to be neglected come autumn when the British apple barrel in with their jazz hands, all crunch, juice and acidity. But this gentler, more mellow orchard fruit has unique charms that lend it not just to eating – ripe and juicy in its own right – but for teaming with other seasonal ingredients, too. There are many wonderful things you can do with pears, both sweet and savoury.

When we inherited our overgrown allotment from the plotholders before us, we were excited to discover a small Williams pear tree on it. Williams is one of the most iconic pear varieties, with a fat-bottomed bell shape, golden skin with red freckles, and juicy flesh. I had vague dreams about distilling my own Poire Williams to fuel future dinner party discos, but in fact, we’re yet to enjoy its fruits, thanks to the pilfering hands, claws or paws of some unknown predatory pear addict who manages to swoop in and harvest the bounty each year before we do.

We did plant our own pear tree in front of our London flat when we first moved in, but as yet, it’s only provided one mean, rock-hard fruit. My hope is to one day grow an abundantly fruiting pear tree of my own – espaliered, like they do in walled castle gardens. If you’re lucky enough to have your own, these recipes will provide you with some new inspiration for how to use its fruit. If you’re buying pears to use, look out for the superior-flavoured Doyenne Du Comice, Conference or Concorde, as well as the Williams.