• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 firm-ripe Comice or Bosc pears
• ¾ cup sugar
• 5 ounces good-quality Roquefort such as Société B*, cut into 4 wedges
• ¾ cup Champagne vinegar**
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• a pinch coarse kosher salt, or to taste

*available at specialty cheese shops and by mail order from Ideal Cheese, tel. (800) 302-0109

**available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets

With a mortar and pestle crush peppercorns coarse. Halve pears lengthwise and core. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges. With a small melon baller (about 1/4 inch wide) scoop out 4 or 5 balls decoratively from I side of each wedge and reserve. Put sugar in a shallow bowl and heat a nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Dip scooped-out side of 6 pear wedges in sugar and arrange, sugar sides down, in skillet. Cook pear wedges until coated sides are golden and caramelized and transfer to a plate. In cleaned skillet cook remaining 6 pear wedges in same manner.

Arrange 3 pear wedges, caramelized sides up, on each of 4 plates and stand a Roquefort wedge in center of each plate.

Add sugar remaining in bowl to cleaned skillet and cook over moderate heat, undisturbed, until sugar begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar, stirring, until melted completely and golden. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add vinegar and crushed peppercorns (mixture will bubble up and steam). Return skillet to beat and cook gastrique, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Boil gastrique until liquid is reduced by about half and add butter and salt, stirring until smooth. Spoon gastrique over pear wedges and put reserved pear balls into scooped-out holes of pear wedges.