It’s nice to have something sweet to eat when camping. That sugar hit seems restorative after a day usually spent walking, swimming, and the like. If you’re into out of season camping, this recipe from Chef Skye Gyngell is a wonderful winter warmer. It’s also great fun to make if you like to cook at the allotment. You can change it up a little by using apples stuffed with dates, which is equally delicious. Take care not to burn the pears (or apples) with too fierce a heat.
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Baked pears with honey, marsala and bay (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients
- 8 firm pears (Martin Sec, Comice or Conference)
- 600ml marsala
- 220ml fragrant honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
- finely pared zest of 1 lemon
- sprig of bay leaves (4 or 5 leaves)
Method
- Place pears in a clay or roasting dish with a lid (or cover with tinfoil) in which they fit quite snugly with stalks uppermost.
- Pour over the marsala and drizzle over the honey, then add cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, lemon zest and bay leaves.
- Place dish on or near the embers or a dying fire (or in an earth oven once it’s lost some of it’s heat) and roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake uncovered for a further 20 minutes. Check it’s not cooking too quickly or it will burn. The pears should be soft and the skin slightly wrinkly.
- Serve warm (not hot) with the marsala and honey syrup spooned over. Add crème fraiche if you fancy. Although they are good enough on their own.
