Caramelised pear flan

Pears which are at their best at the moment and delicious in this simple to make, parev pudding. As a flan and not a cake, it is based on eggs rather than flour. It is light enough to eat on its own but is also delicious with a red fruit coulis to give a contrasting acidity. The vanilla makes it gorgeously scented and it is a perfect winter pudding, served warm, after a meat meal. Use Comice pears for the best result.

Ingredients
6 large eggs
4 tbsp self-raising flour
2 tbsp caster sugar for the base plus 5 tbsp to sprinkle on top
1 fresh vanilla pod
4 tbsp sunflower oil
5 large ripe pears (approximately 1.2kg) peeled and cut in eighths