Warm caramelised pear with a parfait of vanilla and bitter chocolate sorbet – by Paul Merrett

INGREDIENTS

(serves four)

For the sorbet (enough for about 10 portions)
500ml water
250g caster sugar
75g cocoa powder
150g bitter chocolate

For the vanilla parfait
50g vanilla sugar
2 egg yolks
2 scraped vanilla pods
150ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the brandy snap discs (enough for about 12 discs)
125g butter
125g soft light-brown sugar
125g golden syrup
4tsp lemon juice
4tsp brandy
125g flour
1½ tsp ginger

For caramelised pears
4 firm pears, peeled and rubbed with lemon
100ml Sauternes
Juice of an orange
1 star anise
80g caster sugar
50g butter
120g sugar

METHOD

To make the sorbet, dissolve sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Stir in cocoa powder and bitter chocolate. Pass through a chinois. Chill, churn then freeze.

To make the parfait, whisk the vanilla sugar and egg yolks to a ribbon over a bain-marie. Add two scraped vanilla pods. Allow to cool and fold in whipped cream. Pour into 5cm moulds. Freeze.

To make the brandy snaps, melt the butter and add the sugar. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cool. Put eight small mounds of the mixture on a prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly, leaving plenty of space in between each one. Bake at 180ºC for about eight minutes.

Cut into 7cm discs - two per portion. Leave to set.

Poach pears in a syrup of Sauternes, orange juice, star anise and caster sugar. Do not over-poach - make sure the pears are a little firm. Cool. Melt the butter and sugar in a steep-sided pan just large enough to hold the four pears. When the mixture starts to caramelise, add pears and keep turning until they are an even, golden colour. Drain on a cooling wire.

To serve, sandwich one portion of parfait between two brandy snap discs. Place one pear on top. Accompany the dish with a chocolate sorbet.

Paul Merrett