Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

There are more than 3000 varieties of pears and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Pears can be poached, eaten raw or used in salads and they're often used in baking. Pears are a good source of fibre and vitamin C and contain less allergens than other fruits so they're used in exclusion diets for allergy sufferers.

Matching foods together as complimentary co-stars in flavour is often the key to a memorable meal. When we cook and taste ingredients, we know they work as a winning combination, like bacon and eggs, chicken and corn – or pear and blue cheese. The meal's success becomes less of a risk and more of a familiar pleasure. l like sitting down at the end of the day and enjoying a shared meal. Besides blue cheese, pears go well with hazelnut, walnut, spiced salami and ginger. Recently, I was re-acquainted with the combination of pear and ginger in an upside down cake to die for.

It has been so many years since I'd tasted such a duo in the same spiced syrupy cake/dessert.
So why not put those fresh pears to good use this season with this week's recipe that is not too difficult to make, and will lift your spirits on these chilly evenings.

Spiced pear and ginger upside-down cake

15 serves

Ingredients

4-5 fresh pears, peeled, cored and sliced 2cm thick
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
2.5 cups plain flour
2.5 cups of brown sugar
275g butter melted (and cooled)
1 cup golden syrup
3 eggs beaten
250ml natural yoghurt

Method

Lightly grease and completely line (with baking paper) a 23cm baking tin or roasting tray.
Sprinkle ½ cup of brown sugar over the base and spoon over enough of the melted butter to form a paste in the bottom of the tin.
Lay the sliced pear into the paste and keep it one layer thick.
Lightly sprinkle with ginger powder and chill while preparing cake mix.
Sift flour, remaining spices, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Form a well and add the remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, golden syrup and yoghurt. Stir the wet ingredients together first and then form a cake batter by mixing wet and dry ingredients together with a spoon.

Spread out on prepared tray and bake in a preheated fan forced oven at 160-170 degree Celsius for 40 to 45 minutes. Test the cake with a skewer – if it comes out clean it is cooked. Cover and rest for 12-15 minutes before turning over and removing baking paper while still warm. The cake is great as it is, as a slice or eaten warm with fresh cream or custard. The yoghurt seems to help it stay moist for days but it will not last that long – rest assured.