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Pear Charlotte

Lightly butter a plain quart pudding mould. Cover the bottom with a slice of bread quarter of an inch thick. Cut out of an American loaf of bread a piece the height of the mould; pare off all the crust, cut into even slices quarter of an inch thick, then cut each slice into three equal strips lengthwise. Dip each in clarified butter and arrange around the mould, standing up and close to one another.

Peel, cut in halves and remove the seeds from eight fairly good-sized, sound, fresh pears. Place them in a frying pan with an ounce good butter, two ounces granulated sugar and one teaspoon vanilla essence; gently toss for half a minute, then cook for eight minutes. With the aid of a spoon fill the mould with the prepared pears and liquor. Cover the pears tightly with a quarter-inch slice of bread dipped in butter. Should the bread around the mould reach higher than the height of the pears trim off all around. Place the mould in a slow oven for one and a quarter hours. Remove, unmould on a large dish, pour a rum sauce all around the charlotte and serve.