Prepare the apples and pears by peeling, chopping in half and removing the pips/cores, then chopping each into even quarters.

Put the sugar and water in a saucepan, heat gently until simmering then when the sugar is dissolved stir in the vanilla extract.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the fruit quarters, leave to infuse for 20 minutes and reserve the liquid before draining.

Pre-heat the empty grill over medium heat on the hob for 4 to 5 minutes. Test the temperature of the grill - see Cook's notes. When hot enough grill the fruit quarters on both sides for 15 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

Bring the grill back up to temperature then add the fillet steaks and cook for 10 minutes for medium done. Add or subtract around 2 minutes for well done or rare. Turn the steaks every 2 to 3 minutes.

While the steaks are cooking, prepare the sauce: mix the cooking liquid from the fruit, with the vinegar and the cornflour, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken.

To serve, season the steaks well with salt and pepper and place one steak on a warmed plate; add 2 quarters of grilled apple and 2 of pear and coat with some sauce. Repeat for the other 3 steaks. Sprinkle over the chopped herbs.

Cook's Notes

To test if the grill is hot enough add a few drops of cold water to the hot surface. If it sizzles and the water evaporates almost immediately, it is hot enough and ready for use. If the water produces steam and has no sizzle, heat the grill for a little longer and repeat the test again.