In Praise Of … Pears Each month we focus on seasonal fruit and vegetables with some recipes to inspire you. This month it is the turn of pears. Pears can be thick- or thin-skinned with juicy, sweet flesh that can be buttery or slightly granular in texture, depending on the variety. The main British-grown varieties are Doyenne du Comice, Conference and Concorde. Comice has a meltingly soft texture, while Conference is slightly more granular. Concorde, a cross of the two pears, is buttery-textured. Air Fryer Apple, Pear and Raspberry Crumble Preparation time less than 30 mins, Cooking time 10 to 30 mins, Serves 4 Ingredients 3 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced 4 bay leaves, lightly crushed 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 orange, grated zest and juice 150g fresh or frozen raspberries
For the topping 40g rolled oats 60g plain flour 60g ground almonds 60g butter, cubed Pinch of sea salt 6 amaretti biscuits, finely crushed 40g soft brown sugar
Method Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Put the apples, pears, bay leaves, sugar, orange zest and juice into a heatproof dish that fits into your air fryer, about 18cm/7in in diameter. Mix together, then air-fry for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times during cooking. Remove and discard the bay leaves and stir through the raspberries. To make the topping, put the oats, flour, ground almonds and butter into a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and rub together to incorporate the butter. Stir through the amaretti crumbs and sugar, then sprinkle this mixture over the fruit. Cook in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, ice cream or custard. Pear Tarte Tatin Preparation time less than 30 mins, Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour, Serves 6 Ingredients 50g unsalted butter 100g caster sugar 5–6 pears, firm , small and ripe, peeled, cored and halved lengthways 320g pack ready-rolled puff pastry, defrosted if frozen Icing sugar, to decorate, cream or ice cream, to serve 20
