Baked Pears stuffed with Brie

This recipe is simple, straightforward, a cinch, elementary, no sweat, snap, a piece of cake, *insert synonym here*. 

It has only 4 major ingredients; pears, Brie, thyme, and prosciutto. The pears take a few minutes of prep, but other than that it's all about stuffing, wrapping, and baking. 

They're best served hot with warm crusty bread to mop up the melted Brie. 

Ingredients to serve 2:

2 Rocha pears

4 slices of prosciutto

60g of ripened Brie

1/4 of a teaspoon of finely chopped thyme

20g of unsalted butter, melted

Firstly preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Using a small paring knife core the pears from the bottom in order to create a cavity for the Brie, but don't cut through the top of the pear and keep the stem intact. Trim the bottom of the core to create a small plug (about 1cm thick) and set aside. Then peel the pears, again leaving the stem intact. 

Sprinkle half the chopped thyme around the inside of the cavity of each pear and then stuff with half of the Brie, pressing it firmly inside the cavity with your finger. Finish by pushing the trimmed plug into the cavity to seal it. Brush the melted butter all over the outside of the pears and wrap each with 2 slices of prosciutto, making sure you wrap the prosciutto under the bottom of the pear to keep the plug in place. 

Place the pears on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the pears are tender. 

Quick Cassoulet and Roasted Duck

When I say "quick" I mean that this dish will take about an hour to prepare and cook, rather than the more traditional 5 hours (plus overnight bean-soaking). So not exactly a 15-minute meal. 

Traditional cassoulets put the 'slow' in slow-cooking and are full of flavour because of it; this one is not only quicker but it packs the same punch of flavour. It's also lower in fat because of the roast duck legs instead of the traditional confit. 

Ingredients to serve 2: 

2 duck legs

120g of smoked bacon lardons

3 fat sausages, cut into large chunks (I used a Toulouse sausage; flavoured with garlic, red wine, and smoked bacon)

1 x 410g can of Haricot beans

1 small white onion, finely diced

9 cloves of garlic (3 peeled and sliced, the rest left whole)

1 large carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

1 tbsp of tomato puree

30ml of red wine

1 bouquet garni

3 tbsps of chopped flat leaf parsley

30g of panko breadcrumbs (for crunch)

300ml of chicken stock

Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Firstly preheat the oven to 170c/160c fan. Use a heavy knife to lightly crush 6 cloves of garlic in order to release the flavour (there's no need to peel) and place them in a non-stick roasting tin. Place the duck legs on top of the garlic cloves (so that the garlic acts as a trivet), skin side up, and then drizzle the duck with olive oil and sprinkle over a teaspoon of sea salt. Place in the oven to roast for 1 hour. 

While the duck is roasting you can cook the cassoulet. Fry the onion until soft, but not coloured, in a little olive oil over a medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the bacon lardons and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Then add the 3 cloves of garlic and sausage and cook until the sausage starts to brown (3-4 minutes). Then turn up the heat and when the pan is really hot pour in the red wine, being careful of the sizzle, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the haricot beans (there's no need to drain, you can add the water too), tomato puree, carrot, celery, chicken stock, bouquet garni, and seasoning. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, with the lid of the saucepan on, until the sausage is cooked and the cassoulet is thickened. 

After 1 hour remove the duck legs from the oven and discard the garlic cloves. When the cassoulet is done remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the flat leaf parsley. Serve the cassoulet with the panko breadcrumbs sprinkled over and the crispy, roasted duck leg on top. Finish with a final scattering of parsley. 

Based loosely on recipes from Nigel Slater and Raymond Blanc.

Food Porn: Croque Monsieur

For our third date T took me to Paris. Yes I know, bloody show-off. Most men would consider a romantic meal, the cinema, or maybe some sort of mutual sporting activity. 

For all the clichés it truly is the most magical of cities and whilst there I was determined to fully indulge in the Parisian cafe culture al la Francais. There was one cafe quite close to the Louvre; the interior was decked out in deep reds and a haze of cigarette smoke. The bistro tables were packed in without regard to personal space and the air was filled with the chatter of busy Parisians and the clink of red wine carafes. 

And there we consumed croque monsieur with skinny frites; and it was utterly heavenly. The oozy cheese, the crisp toast, the salty ham; perfect for a grey February afternoon. 

Inspired by Felicity Cloake's brilliant food feature in the Guardian, and T's begging eyes, I decided to try and recreate the croque monsieur for a grey July afternoon. 

Following Felicity's recipe was really easy, and for a gluten-free croque monsieur substitute the bread for a white GF brand, such as Genius, and remember to use GF plain flour for the bechamel sauce. 

Felicity's method of spreading the bread with melted butter before toasting gave the sandwich a delectable crunch; I think it's an essential step in the recipe. 

One thing I didn't manage to do successfully was to brown the cheese in the bechamel under the grill as the corners of the toast were starting to blacken (and there's nothing I hate more than burnt toast). But I probably should have toasted it for less beforehand; something to remember for next time! 

The sensation of sinking your teeth into a sandwich which is gooey, then crispy, then gooey, then crispy again is gorgeous. Give it a try on a rainy, miserable weekend lunchtime. 

The authentic additions of cigarette smoke, Edith Piaf, and red wine in a carafe is optional.