Take 8 small pears, 3 oz sugar, the juice and grated rind of an orange and a lime, 2
dried bay leaves and 40ml Grand Marnier.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Either peel the pears or not, as you prefer, but do keep the stalk intact. Stand the pears in a baking dish just big enough to keep them sitting snugly together. Add all the other ingredients except the Grand Marnier and enough water to come an eigth of the way up the pears. Bake for 35-40 minutes, basting occasionally. Transfer to a
serving dish, pour over the Grand Marnier and the basting juices. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sweetened thick crème fraîche.