Sticky pears with gorgonzola

Here's a delicious autumn recipe for those hard pears you find everywhere at this time of year - and a way to make a little piece of cheese stretch further. No photograph, I'm afraid, because we ate it so fast - I made it in seconds as we were all sitting down for soup. It's very quick, and it brings the age-old combination of pears and blue cheese to new heights.

These flowers from the garden were on the table at the weekend - there won't be many more, as the nights are getting colder and colder.

Sticky pears with gorgonzola
for six

three pears
honey*
Marsala**
walnut halves
gorgonzola

Cut three pears into eight slices each. Fry them gently in olive oil until they start to brown. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 3 of Marsala. Coat the pears with this mixture in the frying pan, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and arrange on a large flat dish. Throw a handful of walnut halves into the pan and stir fry for a minute or so, until they are completely coated in the sticky sauce. Put them on the dish, then add the cheese. Drizzle everything with the remaining sauce.


* I used the last of some chestnut honey for this, and the taste shone through, so I would say it was worth using good honey here, if you have some

**I think this would work with other flavours ... next time, I'll use the Armagnac I use for Agen prune tarts

As you may have guessed, this is Nigella (Express)