Pears Currant Pie

Baking a pear pie requires a little advance planning. Sold hard and green in most shops, pears need to ripen in a paper bag at room temperature for a couple of days before you use them. For the best results, they need to be ripe but still firm - when you press your thumb into the bottom of the pear near the blossom end, it should be just slightly springy. Softer than that, and the pear is too ripe - it will turn into a mass of water when cooked. The best pear to use for a pie is a Bartlett,