Patina de Piris

Peel and core the pears and cut them into rough chunks. Simmer them gently with the honey and a splash of water in a covered pan until completely tender and translucent, 12-15 minutes. The honey draws out their juice and seasons the flesh from within. Drain off most of the loose liquid so the finished custard will set.

Tip the drained pears into a mortar (or food processor) and pound to a smooth purée. Crack the pepper and grind the cumin fresh, then work them through the warm fruit. Apicius is emphatic about pepper here — it should be present, a gentle prickle that lifts the sweetness rather than a sting. Let the purée cool to just warm before adding the eggs.

Beat the eggs until smooth and stir them steadily into the warm pear purée so they thicken it without scrambling. Add just a few drops of garum — enough to deepen and round the flavour, not to taste of fish. Taste: it should read sweet first, then savoury, with a peppery warmth underneath. Whisk to a loose, pourable batter.

Brush a shallow baking dish with olive oil and pour in the batter. Bake at 170°C / 340°F until the patina is just set with the faintest wobble at the centre, 30-35 minutes (a water bath gives the silkiest set). Crack a little more pepper over the top. Cool until barely warm — it firms as it rests — and serve in soft spoonfuls.