Pear Relish

Pomologist Edward Bunyard believed that “the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption”.
The new season pears will be ready for harvesting soon. So if you want to encounter a little of that “silent consumption” let them ripen for a few days after being picked. Or better still pickle them to make a zingy relish. This is great with some seriously strong cheese like an Italian Gorgonzola or our own Milleens from the craggy wilds of the Beara Peninsula.
This is adapted from a recipe by food writer and chef Skye Gyngell.

Ingredients

2 pears
1 apple
2 tablespoons currants
2 tbls barberries
50ml raspberry vinegar (or cider vinegar)
cinnamon stick
25g butter
2 tbls sugar
few sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper.

Soak the dried fruit in some warm water. Core and chop the pears and apple into small dice. Melt the butter in a pan, add the fruit and cook until starting to soften. Add all the other ingredients (except the salt and pepper) and cook for a further 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and season if necessary. Store in a sterilized jar.

Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist