Regular readers will observe that the ‘Love Laeken’ column has been joined this month by another ‘L’ in recognition of the plight of Limburg pear farmers. Russia recently decided to ban the import of certain categories of European fruit in retaliation at EU sanctions directed at Russia because of its role in fuelling the Ukraine conflict. The pear industry in Limburg province is one of the sectors that has been hardest hit by the ban, some farmers even deciding that they could not afford to harvest and store their pears this year. For those producers who decided to go ahead and try to sell their pears anyway, every little helps! So let’s ‘Buy Belgian’ and get inventive with pears. Here’s a recipe for starters:
Flan aux poires et raisins
120g butter / de beurre
3 eggs / œufs
120g sugar / sucre en poudre
120 g flour / farine
A few drops of vanilla extract / Quelques gouttes d’essence de vanille (extrait)
20g raisins / raisins secs
5 pears / poires
Method
Grease a pie dish
Melt the butter on a low heat in a small pan
Beat the eggs with sugar
Gradually stir into the mixture the butter and flour to make a batter; add vanilla and raisins
Peel and quarter pears
Pour half the batter into the pie dish and lay the pears evenly on top
Pour the remaining batter over the pears.
Cook for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees C until golden brown.
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