Ingredients

• 170g/6oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• cold water
• to mix
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine
• 200ml/7fl oz boiling water
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pear
• peeled
• cored and halved
• 150g/5½oz goats' cheese
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives
• 1 salad onion
• finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• basil leaf
• to garnish

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• To make the pastry
• mix the flour and butter in a food processor until the mixture starts to resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and enough water for the pastry to bind.
• Bring the pastry together and
• on a floured surface
• roll the dough to a ½cm/¼in thickness. Cut out two large pear shapes
• then place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
• For the pear
• bring the wine
• water
• sugar and bay leaf to a simmer in a small saucepan. Poach the pear halves in the syrup for 10 minutes
• weighed down with a small plate to submerge the pear.
• To make the filling
• mix together the goats' cheese
• chives and chopped salad onion
• then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Stuff this mixture into the cored poached pear halves and place the pears on the pastry. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Serve on a large warm plate and garnish with the basil leaf.