For each person

• half a fine ripe dessert pear
• 1 oz. (30 g.) Stilton cheese
• 1 oz. (30 g.) butter
• fresh black pepper
• 2 half kernels of a freshly shelled walnut
• 1 inside leaf of crisp lettuce
• lemon juice

Peel, halve and core the pears very shortly before eating, and squeeze a little lemon juice over them to keep them white. Lay each half on a crisp lettuce leaf. Cream the Stilton with the butter and a good pinch of coarsely ground black pepper. Pile 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls in the centre of each half of pear, and stick the walnut halves to the pile.

If the pears are very large, quarters can of course be used.

Very good indeed with claret or port.