Weekend recipe: Nick Cullen's warm pears with Amaretto crumble

PEARS are in plentiful supply at the moment and a lovely seasonal ingredient to cook with as well as eat raw. Like many other fruits, pears combine well with rich, fatty meat such as duck and pork as well as strong, sharp flavours such as blue cheese, watercress or chicory. Nuts are also a great companion to pears; their crunchy and creamy texture combines well with the soft, sweet tang of the fruit. And of course there are lots of wonderful desserts that can be created from this autumnal fruit.