Healthy Appetizer
Roasted Pears with Brie Wrapped in Proscuitto

An Elegant Healthy Appetizer

Step One: Roast the Pears

You'll need:

• 18 small pears - not quite ripe and still a little hard
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1 cup rice bran or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.

Halve the fruit and toss them in a bowl with sugar and oil. Combine them well so that the halves are thoroughly coated.

The sugar will caramelize and it is this shiny brown caramel that makes the fruit look appetizing.

Roast in a paper lined roasting tray for 20 minutes till lovely and golden brown.

Step Two: Put the appetizer together

You'll need:

• 3 oz/ 80 grams of brie cheese
• 3 oz/80 gm blue vein cheese
• 5 slices of pancetta or proscuitto
• 18 sprigs of parsley leaves

Move the fruit onto two serving platters. Allow them to cool before handling further. We'll make up this appetizer on the platters.

Using a pair of scissors, cut each slice of proscuitto into 4 then halved again , so that there are now 36 to 40 ribbons of pancetta.

Tear the parsley so you have a supply of 36 small sprigs. Lay the leaf onto each roasted pear half.

Using a small knife slice the cheeses into small half teaspoon sizes. Lay the tiny serve onto the leaf so that it sits elegantly on the roasted fruit.  Repeat.

Wrap the ribbon of pancetta/proscuitto around the cheese and pear tucking in the ends at the base of the fruit.

Serve immediately!