Lockets savoury

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
8 smalls White bread slices
1 bunch Watercress (large bunch)
4 Ripe pears **
12 ounces Stilton cheese; sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

NB ** The pears should be of good quality. JG suggests Doyenn‚ du Comice.

Toast the bread and cut off the crusts. Put the slices into four ovenproof dishes, or one large one. Arrange the watercress evenly on top and then the thinly sliced, peeled, cored pears. Cover with stilton slices. Put into a 350øF (175øC mark 4), oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt and the pears release their aromatic flavours. Grind black pepper on top before serving immediately.

Notes.

"I Florence, years ago I learnt how delicious cheese is with pears, a combination as popular there as apple tart with cheese in Yorkshire (UK). All kinds of cheese go with pears, Brie, cream cheeses, Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Stilton. And so does black pepper; it was quite commonly used to bring out the flavour of fruit in the Middle Ages (and still in in some parts of France, where they make a peppered pear tart - or rather pie). This recipe though, is a modern one and is a speciality of Locket's restaurant in London (UK). JG" Recipe Jane Grigson "English food" MMed IMH c/o Georges' Home BBS 2:323/4⅖

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