Roasted pears with blue cheese, a nutty crumb, and cider sauce are a delicious and unusual side dish capable of being the star of any meal.
This recipe will take you around 15 minutes to prepare and a further 40 minutes to cook.
Savoury Baked Pears with Blue Cheese
Roasted or baked pears typically invoke thoughts of dessert time, in much the same way as poached pears.
But they are exceptionally good in savoury dishes too.
They appear in my pork chop with pears and cider sauce, as well as being served on top of my deep fried Camembert recipe.
This recipe is a glorious side dish that screams with deep savoury vibes.
Conference pears are roasted with blue cheese in butter and dry cider; the almost sweet and sour flavour of the pear is the perfect foil for the tangy blue cheese.
It's then topped with a buttery crumb or crumble featuring oats and a variety of nuts and seeds.
It's delightful, simple, unusual and absolutely delicious; it's also a fantastic way to change up your side dish "game".
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different Blue Cheese?
Yes, this recipe works with pretty much any blue cheese. I choose Stilton because I love the stuff.
But I have made this with both Roquefort and Gorgonzola, and it is delicious.
What cider do you use?
My favourite cider to cook with at the moment is Aspall Premier Cru. But you could use any dry cider in this recipe, just make sure you avoid sweet "flavoured" ciders.
If you can lay your hands on some dry Perry, then go for that instead; it works exceptionally well.
Can I change the ingredients in the crumb?
Yes, so long as you stick with the oats, you can change the nutty part to anything you have in your cupboard, so long as you broadly stick to the same volumes.
Ingredients I've added in the past include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, and walnuts.
Can I make this in advance?
Not really, this dish does not reheat very well. But you can make the crumb 2-3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
IMPORTANT NOTE!
This may or may not need saying, however, if you are a vegetarian, please check that the cheese you use in this recipe is not made with animal rennet.
Vegetarian Stilton is fairly common; however, true Gorgonzola is "never" vegetarian.
Serving Suggestions
If you think pork and apple is a classic combination, then wait till you try pork and pear!
These roasted pears sing when paired (see what I did there) with pork.
They are pictured with simply cooked pork chops, cooked in the same way as I do with my pork chops and blackberry sauce recipe.
But they work with all sorts of pork treats; they are particularly good with fattier cuts like pork belly. Drop these alongside my roast pork belly slices or roasted pork belly joint for a stunning meal.
They would be just as good with my honey and mustard roasted ham hock or these baked pork shoulder steaks.
But if you are not a fan of the fattier part of the pig, my skinless sausages wrapped in leeks and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin work exceptionally well too.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I believe they make a significant difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Oven.
- 28cm or 11" oven-proof frying pan.
- 20cm or 8" frying pan.
- Spatula.
- Whisk.
- A mini blender or other method to crush the crumb ingredients.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Vegetable peeler.
- A large bowl to soak the pears.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Savoury Roasted Pears Recipe with Blue Cheese and Cider Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Pears I use Conference pears
- 750 ml Water Around 3 Cups
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 175 ml Dry Cider ¾ Cup (Hard Cider in the US)
- ½ teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 100 g Blue Cheese 1 Cup (I use Stilton)
- 30 g Butter 2 tablespoon
For the Savoury Crumble:
- 2 tablespoon Pine Nuts 20g
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Almonds 10g
- 4-5 Pecan Halves 10g
- 2½ tablespoon Jumbo Oats 15g
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 30 g Butter 2 tablespoon
Instructions
- Mix the water and lemon juice in a medium-large bowl.
- Peel the pear, cut it in half and remove the core. A melon baller is ideal for this, but a teaspoon with a "sharpish" edge works well too.Take a thin slice of the bottom of the bulbous part of the pear so it will sit flat.
- Plunge the pears into the lemon water to prevent them from browning.
- Take half of the butter for the pears and add it to a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium high heat, and cook it until it begins to foam.
- Dry the pears on some kitchen paper and sear, cut side down, for 3-4 minutes or until you have started a little caramelisation. Then flip the pears over.
- Crumble the blue cheese into the cavity left by the core.
- Pour the cider into the pan and transfer to the oven. Roast at 200°C or 400°F for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and remove the pears from the pan.
- Whisk the remaining cold butter through the sauce. I like to strain the sauce before serving, but it is not essential.
For the Savoury Crumble (This can be done before or during the cooking of the pears):
- Lightly crush the ingredients (except the butter) for the crumble in a bag or pulse them in a mini blender.
- Add the lightly crushed ingredients to a dry frying pan 20cm or 8" frying pan and toast over a medium heat until golden (4-5 minutes)
- Add the butter for the crumble to the pan and cook until the butter has melted and the crumble is well-coated. (2-4 minutes).
Erine Harrison
Tuesday 18th of January 2022
Could this be served as a starter with salad leaves?
Brian Jones
Wednesday 19th of January 2022
Yes, I don't eat starters often hence it being a side dish. But it would be great with some rocket (arugula) or watercress, maybe even some radicchio.
Kenneth Wortley
Monday 1st of January 2018
Brian, Thnak you for adding to the extra line addition, but your pictures seem to omit the pear. How did you plate everything?
Brian Jones
Tuesday 2nd of January 2018
The pear is definitiely there front and centre, take a look at the overhead image below the recipe instructions that will hopefully give you a clearer picture of how I plate up :)
Kenneth R Wortley
Monday 25th of September 2017
Do you mean to puree/chop the roasted pear with the toasted nuts? Neither your preparation instructions nor the plating picture show the pear. Thank you.
Brian Jones
Tuesday 26th of September 2017
Hi Kenneth...
I have added an extra line to the instructions that will hopefully make it a little clearer :)
Slav Lady
Sunday 24th of September 2017
Another delicious recipe from Krumpli. Excellent with winter coming on. Shall look out for perry.
Brian Jones
Tuesday 26th of September 2017
Cheers :)