Crisp phyllo pastry, soft onion and ripe pear are balanced by tangy blue cheese and a fresh salad. These little bites work well as a starter or as part of a drinks spread.
These bites are all about three distinct flavors: sweet, soft onion, juicy pear and salty blue cheese. Phyllo pastry keeps the filling light and crisp, without the rich flavor of buttery puff pastry. The cheese doesn’t need to take center stage; a small amount is enough to sharpen the sweetness. Choose a pear that’s ripe but still feels firm, so the cubes don’t completely fall apart as they bake.
Cooking the onions slowly matters more here than browning them deeply. Over medium-low heat, they become soft and sweet, while stirring regularly keeps them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Take your time: too much heat will brown the edges before the onion is soft enough. Add the pear only at the end and cook it briefly. This lets some of the moisture evaporate and keeps the filling firm enough to fold into the phyllo pastry. Let the filling cool before making the parcels; warm filling can soften the pastry.
Phyllo pastry dries out quickly once the package is open. Keep the unused sheets under a clean, slightly damp cloth and brush each layer lightly with melted butter. A thin layer helps the sheets stick together and bake until crisp; a pool of butter will make the parcels heavy. Blue cheese varies widely in sharpness. A mild variety gives a creamy, subtly salty flavor, while a stronger cheese needs only a smaller amount. Don’t have blue cheese on hand? Use crumbled goat cheese; it’s less sharp, but goes well with pear.
Pears are widely available, especially in fall and winter, but firm storage varieties are often in stores for longer. The dressing is deliberately simple: vinegar, mustard and olive oil add acidity and a little bite alongside the rich filling. Bitter leaves such as Belgian endive, radicchio or frisée work well; feel free to mix different kinds. Dress the salad just before serving so the leaves stay crisp.
Serve the parcels as soon as they come out of the oven, with the salad on the side. That’s when the contrast between crisp pastry, soft filling and fresh leaves is at its best. If you have any bites left over, let them cool and refrigerate them, covered, within two hours; eat them within two days. Reheat them on a baking sheet in a 180 °C oven until crisp again. Store the salad separately and dress it just before serving.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and water and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown. Add the pear and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Stir in the blue cheese and season with black pepper.
Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry on the work surface and keep the remaining sheets under a clean, slightly damp cloth. Cut the sheet into three long strips, about 10 cm wide. Brush the strips lightly with melted butter and stack two strips on top of each other. Repeat with the remaining sheets; you’ll have 12 stacks of two strips.
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling onto the end of each stack. Fold the corner over the filling to make a triangle, then keep folding the triangle over the strip to form a parcel. Brush the outside lightly with butter and place the parcels seam-side down on the baking sheet.
Bake the parcels for 15–18 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
Meanwhile, whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and extra-virgin olive oil together to make a dressing. Toss the salad leaves lightly with the dressing just before serving. Serve the warm phyllo bites with the salad.
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