Pear and ginger charlotte

COOKING TIME 45 MINUTES

SERVES 6

450g (1lb) Conference pears, peeled, cored and chopped

110g (4oz) unsalted butter

1 tbsp caster sugar

6 medium-thickness slices of bread, crusts removed

20g (¾oz) stem ginger, chopped

1 egg yolk

Cream or ice cream, to serve

PLACE THE CHOPPED PEARS in a saucepan with 25g (1oz) of the butter and the tablespoon of sugar. Cook over a low heat until soft and broken down. Remove from the heat and purée the pears in the pan with a hand blender. Leave to cool.

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Melt the remaining 85g (3oz) of butter in a small saucepan, then brush it over one side of each bread slice, making sure the bread is well covered. Cut into rectangles and use most of them to line a 20–25cm (8–10in) pudding basin or round cake tin, 12cm (4½in) in depth, placing the pieces buttered-side down and slightly overlapping (reserve a little bread for the top). Press them on firmly.

WHEN THE PEAR PURÉE IS COOL, add the chopped stem ginger and whisk in the egg yolk, then pour the mixture into the bread-lined basin. Cover with the remaining sliced bread, butter-side up, and press down firmly. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and carefully turn out onto a warm plate. Serve with cream or ice cream.