Broth of nuggets and poached pud: Ravinder Bhogal's pear recipes

Pears, in all their luscious juiciness, are the crown jewel of fall, but are often overlooked in favor of apples. To get the most out of them, wait until they're ripe - only then will you be rewarded with all their lovely flavor, which can range from pink to buttery. While pears are great eaten as is, they are also versatile enough to be pickled, poached and baked, and make a wonderful addition to salads, savory dishes and desserts.

Marinated Pear and Rarebit Gorgonzola ( top photo)

Pears and cheese are a heavenly pairing, and here the fruit is marinated to cut through the richness of the supremely creamy gorgonzola. The resulting rarebit is a cheese toast to dream of.

Preparation 20 minCooking 30 minMakes 4

For marinated pears100ml white wine vinegar50g caster sugar1 star anise1 feather cinnamon3 peppercorns1 strip of lemon zestSea salt and black pepper2–3 firm but ripe pears, cored and sliced ​​dijon mustard10g flour 25g white breadcrumbs2 egg yolks100g gorgonzola cheese4 thick slices of sourdough1 handful of walnuts

To make the gherkin, mix the vinegar, sugar, spices, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and 100 ml of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer for three minutes, then cool to room temperature. Thinly slice the pears, drop in the marinade liquid for 15 minutes, then drain.

Turn the grill to high heat and stir in the rarebit while it heating. Heat the milk, Gruyère and mustard in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to melt the cheese. Add flour and breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, for another five to 10 minutes, until thickened. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the egg yolks. Crumble the blue cheese into large chunks, then season to taste.

Toast the bread on both sides, then spread a 1cm layer of the rarebit mixture on one side of each slice. Place the toasts cheese side down under the hot broiler and cook for about a minute, until golden brown and browned in spots. Spread the pickled pears on top and crumble over some walnuts. Serve the rare bubbly bits with a well-seasoned crisp salad for an easy lunch.

Poached pear and mascarpone pudding

This elegant layered pudding makes the most of the silky flesh of pears by bathing them in sweet wine.