Baked Pears in Verjuice with Dark Chocolate Sauce

COOK’S TIP: Verjuice (or verjus) is the preserved juice of unripe grapes. It’s acidic but has a gentler flavour than vinegar or wine.

Heat oven to 190°C. Place 6 halved and cored pears into an ovenproof gratin dish, cut side down. Pour over 500ml white or red verjuice and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pears are soft (cooking time will vary depending on the pears’ size and ripeness).

Serve warm or cold, with juices and Dark Chocolate Sauce. A little raspberry sorbet or ice cream on the side is a good addition.

DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE Heat 200ml cream (use coconut cream to make this dairy-free) in a small, heavy-based pot until nearly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g chopped dark chocolate (such as Whittaker’s 72% Cocoa Dark Ghana). Stir until smooth. Serve immediately or let sit at room temperature until slightly thickened. Serves 6