Anyone have a favorite pear recipe? I'm inundated with pears.
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Haven't tried this, but it sounds decadent: Poached Pears w/Gorgonzola Cream & Chocolate Maple Syrup
POACHED PEARS with GORGONZOLA CREAM and CHOCOLATE MAPLE SYRUP
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup Port
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
4 whole cloves
4 2x1-inch lemon peel strips
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 firm Bosc pears, halved and cored
4 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2-3 tablespoons half & half
Chopped pistachios, for garnish
Chocolate Maple Syrup
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the red wine, Port, sugar, cloves, lemon peel, vanilla bean and black pepper in heavy large saucepan. Add the pear halves, cut side down and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer until the pears are tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a plate. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the poaching liquid until it is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and cool the sauce.
To make the Gorgonzola Cream: In a food processor combine the goat cheese, Gorgonzola and half & half until smooth.
To make the Chocolate Maple Syrup: Melt the butter in a small saucepot. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and maple syrup until smooth and glossy.
To serve, pour a pool of the reduced poaching liquid on the bottom of 8 dessert plates. Place 1 pear half, cut side up, on each plate. Fill the cavity of each pear half with a tablespoon of the Gorgonzola Cream. Drizzle each pear with the Chocolate Maple Syrup, garnish with pistachios and serve.
Serves 8
From Chef Jamie Gwen
http://www.chefjamie.com/recipedetail.php?ID=146
POACHED PEARS with GORGONZOLA CREAM and CHOCOLATE MAPLE SYRUP
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup Port
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
4 whole cloves
4 2x1-inch lemon peel strips
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 firm Bosc pears, halved and cored
4 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2-3 tablespoons half & half
Chopped pistachios, for garnish
Chocolate Maple Syrup
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the red wine, Port, sugar, cloves, lemon peel, vanilla bean and black pepper in heavy large saucepan. Add the pear halves, cut side down and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer until the pears are tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a plate. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the poaching liquid until it is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and cool the sauce.
To make the Gorgonzola Cream: In a food processor combine the goat cheese, Gorgonzola and half & half until smooth.
To make the Chocolate Maple Syrup: Melt the butter in a small saucepot. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and maple syrup until smooth and glossy.
To serve, pour a pool of the reduced poaching liquid on the bottom of 8 dessert plates. Place 1 pear half, cut side up, on each plate. Fill the cavity of each pear half with a tablespoon of the Gorgonzola Cream. Drizzle each pear with the Chocolate Maple Syrup, garnish with pistachios and serve.
Serves 8
From Chef Jamie Gwen
http://www.chefjamie.com/recipedetail.php?ID=146
Another decadent one: Roasted Pear Salad w/Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese & Chocolate&Roasted Pear...
ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE-SCENTED GOAT CHEESE AND ROASTED PEAR VINAIGRETTE
Roasted Pear Vinaigrette:
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
4 pears, halved, seeded, roasted at 350 ° until soft, cooled and peeled
1/4 c. pear vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 small clove garlic, chopped fine
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted, cooled
1 teasp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. sugar
Preparation:
Reserve 4 roasted pear halves for the salad. Place 4 roasted pear halves in a bowl with the the vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Mash pears with whisk. Slowly whisk in oils and then sour cream. Adjust seasoning.
Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese
Makes 10 oz.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound goat cheese at room temperature
1/2 teasp. sugar
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teasp. salt
1/4 c. cream or milk
Preparation:
Chop chocolate and melt in a double boiler, taking care not to overheat. Cool to room temperature. Combine with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Adjust seasoning.
Roasted Pear Salad:
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 heads butter lettuce
Remaining 4 roasted pear halves
Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese
Chocolate and Roasted Pear Vinaigrette
Preparation:
Tear lettuce in bite-sized pieces, wash and drain well. Toss with vinaigrette. Stuff each of the remaining 4 pear halves with a generous spoon of the goat cheese mix. Arrange lettuce on each plate and top with pear half. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the top.
http://www.valleysentinel.com/archive/2003/200302/food/recipes0302.htm
ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE-SCENTED GOAT CHEESE AND ROASTED PEAR VINAIGRETTE
Roasted Pear Vinaigrette:
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
4 pears, halved, seeded, roasted at 350 ° until soft, cooled and peeled
1/4 c. pear vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 small clove garlic, chopped fine
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted, cooled
1 teasp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. sugar
Preparation:
Reserve 4 roasted pear halves for the salad. Place 4 roasted pear halves in a bowl with the the vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Mash pears with whisk. Slowly whisk in oils and then sour cream. Adjust seasoning.
Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese
Makes 10 oz.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound goat cheese at room temperature
1/2 teasp. sugar
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teasp. salt
1/4 c. cream or milk
Preparation:
Chop chocolate and melt in a double boiler, taking care not to overheat. Cool to room temperature. Combine with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Adjust seasoning.
Roasted Pear Salad:
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 heads butter lettuce
Remaining 4 roasted pear halves
Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese
Chocolate and Roasted Pear Vinaigrette
Preparation:
Tear lettuce in bite-sized pieces, wash and drain well. Toss with vinaigrette. Stuff each of the remaining 4 pear halves with a generous spoon of the goat cheese mix. Arrange lettuce on each plate and top with pear half. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the top.
http://www.valleysentinel.com/archive/2003/200302/food/recipes0302.htm
steve2-in-la
Well-known member
This is my CB's favorite, REC: Pear Tatin
Pear Tatin
Nobody said this would be easy so, before you begin, read these directions and make sure you understand ALL of ‘em!
1 sheet PUFF PASTRY, slightly defrosted (I mean, why make your own?)
4 Tbsp UNSALTED BUTTER, at room temperature
6½ Tbsp SUGAR
4-5 ripe BOSC PEARS, peeled, cored and quartered
¼ cup PEAR BRANDY
CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Roll puff pastry out to form a circle 1/8 inch thick. Trim dough to fit top of a 10” inch skillet. Moisten edges & use trimmings to form a rim around outside of circle. Cut a dime sized hole in middle of circle, place on a cookie sheet & freeze for at least an hour.
(NOTE: Once you’ve made the rim for the pastry circle, put the skillet BACK over it to make sure the edge will fit down snugly inside the pan. When this thing is frozen, you want to be sure rim doesn’t hang OUTSIDE of pan! It wouldn’t be pretty.)
Preheat oven to 375°F then prepare tart filling: Spread butter on inside of a heavy ovenproof 10”skillet. Sprinkle 4 Tbsp sugar over butter. Reserving one piece of the peeled, cored and quartered pear, arrange pears, cut-side down, in a tight-circle around edge of pan, points to center. Cram as much fruit in as possible and place the reserved piece, on top, in the center, round side down. Sprinkle 1½ Tbsp sugar over the top.
Cook pears over high heat (depending on your stove, obviously) swirling gently until sugar has caramelized. If you’ve never done this before, you’ll see the butter melt, and as the pears release some of their liquid, a pale yellow “sauce” develops. The sauce then starts to turn an increasingly darker shade of gold. You want the sauce to get to the color of Kraft caramels but I also use my nose as tip off. If it starts to SMELL burnt, it’s well on it’s way there! (Keep a close eye and/or nostril on this as you don’t want to let it go too far or everything will burn, you’re screwed and you’ll have to start all over again and we HATE it when that happens.)
When the pears are ready, remove pan from heat, take crust from freezer and place it snugly , rim-side down, over pears in skillet like a box top. Place skillet on a baking sheet in the oven (to catch any overflow) and bake on center rack until crust is browned, anywhere from 30-45 minutes.
Carefully remove skillet from oven, and place it briefly over high heat on the stove-top to loosen any caramel that may have stuck. Next, the trickiest and most critical step . . .
De-pan the tart by placing a wire cake rack, top side down, on top of the skillet, then put a flat 12” plate, large enough to hold entire tart, on top of the rack, face down. Using a heavy towel or oven mitts, grasp plate, rack and skillet in both hands and upend so that tart is on rack over plate. (Diagrams MAY be available). You should now have depanned tart on top of rack, over plate. Phew!
Cook pear brandy with remaining 1 Tbsp sugar for 2-3 minutes until sugar melts. Gently spoon this mixture over cooling tart. Some juice will escape through the hole in the bottom of pastry. Just pour it off and re-spoon over pears until it stops flowing. This needs to cool at least 45 minutes. Slide cooled tart off rack and serve from a platter or what-have-you. As always, I strongly recommend crème fraîche as the topping of choice.
Pear Tatin
Nobody said this would be easy so, before you begin, read these directions and make sure you understand ALL of ‘em!
1 sheet PUFF PASTRY, slightly defrosted (I mean, why make your own?)
4 Tbsp UNSALTED BUTTER, at room temperature
6½ Tbsp SUGAR
4-5 ripe BOSC PEARS, peeled, cored and quartered
¼ cup PEAR BRANDY
CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Roll puff pastry out to form a circle 1/8 inch thick. Trim dough to fit top of a 10” inch skillet. Moisten edges & use trimmings to form a rim around outside of circle. Cut a dime sized hole in middle of circle, place on a cookie sheet & freeze for at least an hour.
(NOTE: Once you’ve made the rim for the pastry circle, put the skillet BACK over it to make sure the edge will fit down snugly inside the pan. When this thing is frozen, you want to be sure rim doesn’t hang OUTSIDE of pan! It wouldn’t be pretty.)
Preheat oven to 375°F then prepare tart filling: Spread butter on inside of a heavy ovenproof 10”skillet. Sprinkle 4 Tbsp sugar over butter. Reserving one piece of the peeled, cored and quartered pear, arrange pears, cut-side down, in a tight-circle around edge of pan, points to center. Cram as much fruit in as possible and place the reserved piece, on top, in the center, round side down. Sprinkle 1½ Tbsp sugar over the top.
Cook pears over high heat (depending on your stove, obviously) swirling gently until sugar has caramelized. If you’ve never done this before, you’ll see the butter melt, and as the pears release some of their liquid, a pale yellow “sauce” develops. The sauce then starts to turn an increasingly darker shade of gold. You want the sauce to get to the color of Kraft caramels but I also use my nose as tip off. If it starts to SMELL burnt, it’s well on it’s way there! (Keep a close eye and/or nostril on this as you don’t want to let it go too far or everything will burn, you’re screwed and you’ll have to start all over again and we HATE it when that happens.)
When the pears are ready, remove pan from heat, take crust from freezer and place it snugly , rim-side down, over pears in skillet like a box top. Place skillet on a baking sheet in the oven (to catch any overflow) and bake on center rack until crust is browned, anywhere from 30-45 minutes.
Carefully remove skillet from oven, and place it briefly over high heat on the stove-top to loosen any caramel that may have stuck. Next, the trickiest and most critical step . . .
De-pan the tart by placing a wire cake rack, top side down, on top of the skillet, then put a flat 12” plate, large enough to hold entire tart, on top of the rack, face down. Using a heavy towel or oven mitts, grasp plate, rack and skillet in both hands and upend so that tart is on rack over plate. (Diagrams MAY be available). You should now have depanned tart on top of rack, over plate. Phew!
Cook pear brandy with remaining 1 Tbsp sugar for 2-3 minutes until sugar melts. Gently spoon this mixture over cooling tart. Some juice will escape through the hole in the bottom of pastry. Just pour it off and re-spoon over pears until it stops flowing. This needs to cool at least 45 minutes. Slide cooled tart off rack and serve from a platter or what-have-you. As always, I strongly recommend crème fraîche as the topping of choice.
REC: Ginger-Pear Marmalade (addictive and makes a great gift)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/102085
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/102085
REC: Pears Poached in Port with Cranberries...
PEARS POACHED IN PORT WITH CRANBERRIES
Recipe By :Gourmet/December 2000
Serving Size : 4
8 whole allspice
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger -- cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 4x1-inch strip zest from a navel orange -- removed with a vegatable peeler
3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups Tawny Port
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 Bosc pears -- or Anjou, firm-ripe with stems
Special equipment: an 8-inch square of
cheesecloth
Tie allspice and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag with kitchen string. Put bag in a large saucepan with remaining ingredients except pears and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and arrange on sides in poaching liquid. Simmer, uncovered, gently turning from time to time, until tender, 20 to 40 minutes depending on ripeness.
Discard cheesecloth bag and carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard ginger, cinnamon stick, and zest. Serve pears warm or at room temperature with syrup.
PEARS POACHED IN PORT WITH CRANBERRIES
Recipe By :Gourmet/December 2000
Serving Size : 4
8 whole allspice
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger -- cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 4x1-inch strip zest from a navel orange -- removed with a vegatable peeler
3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups Tawny Port
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 Bosc pears -- or Anjou, firm-ripe with stems
Special equipment: an 8-inch square of
cheesecloth
Tie allspice and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag with kitchen string. Put bag in a large saucepan with remaining ingredients except pears and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and arrange on sides in poaching liquid. Simmer, uncovered, gently turning from time to time, until tender, 20 to 40 minutes depending on ripeness.
Discard cheesecloth bag and carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard ginger, cinnamon stick, and zest. Serve pears warm or at room temperature with syrup.
REC: Autumn Harvest Pie...
Autumn Harvest Pie
Recipe By :Martha Stewart
Serving Size : 10
7 baking apples -- such as, Rome, Granny Smith, or Cortland, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
7 Bosc pears -- peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar -- plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lemon -- juice and zest of
3 cups fresh cranberries -- (12 ounces)
Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough) -- (See Recipe)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Sugar -- for sprinkling
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper; set aside. Combine apples and pears in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice, and zest, and mix. Add cranberries, and toss gently. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a rough 18-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line a 12-inch pie dish with the dough.
3. Transfer apple and pear mixture into pastry-lined pan. Dot the top with butter. Fold and overlap the pastry over the fruit. Brush pastry with cream. Sprinkle sugar lightly and evenly over the top of pie. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°; continue to bake until juices are bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours more.
Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup unsalted butter -- (2 sticks) chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water -- (1/4 to 1/2)
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
NOTES : 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies
Pâte brisée is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disk rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.
Autumn Harvest Pie
Recipe By :Martha Stewart
Serving Size : 10
7 baking apples -- such as, Rome, Granny Smith, or Cortland, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
7 Bosc pears -- peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar -- plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lemon -- juice and zest of
3 cups fresh cranberries -- (12 ounces)
Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough) -- (See Recipe)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Sugar -- for sprinkling
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper; set aside. Combine apples and pears in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice, and zest, and mix. Add cranberries, and toss gently. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a rough 18-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line a 12-inch pie dish with the dough.
3. Transfer apple and pear mixture into pastry-lined pan. Dot the top with butter. Fold and overlap the pastry over the fruit. Brush pastry with cream. Sprinkle sugar lightly and evenly over the top of pie. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°; continue to bake until juices are bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours more.
Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup unsalted butter -- (2 sticks) chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water -- (1/4 to 1/2)
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
NOTES : 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies
Pâte brisée is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disk rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.
REC: Poached Pears in Red Wine Sauce
I love to serve these for Christmas because they're not too heavy and very showy. Without the cream, they're a great dessert for a vegan menu.
POACHED PEARS IN RED WINE SAUCE
From Bon Appetit, 12/94. Serves 8.
3 cups dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
8 Bosc pears
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. Cognac
Combine the wine, orange juice, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks in a Dutch oven (or divide between 2 large saucepans). Bring to boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
Peel pears, leaving stems intact. Cut small slice off bottom of each pear so it will stand upright when served. Arrange pears on their sides in pot. Cover and simmer gently until pears are tender but still hold their shape, turning once, about 15 minutes per side. With slotted spoon, remove to a dish, standing them upright.
Boil cooking liquid until thick and reduced to ½ cup, about 9 minutes. Strain into small bowl. Cover and chill sauce and pears separately until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
Beat cream until soft peaks form. Add cognac and sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip.
Transfer pears to plates in upright position. Spoon red wine sauce over. Pipe whipped cream around pears.
NOTE: I like to add a few strips of orange zest to the poaching liquid along with the juice called for. I’ve never bothered with the pastry bag, and I’ve served it with crème frâiche instead of the whipped cream.
I love to serve these for Christmas because they're not too heavy and very showy. Without the cream, they're a great dessert for a vegan menu.
POACHED PEARS IN RED WINE SAUCE
From Bon Appetit, 12/94. Serves 8.
3 cups dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
8 Bosc pears
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. Cognac
Combine the wine, orange juice, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks in a Dutch oven (or divide between 2 large saucepans). Bring to boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
Peel pears, leaving stems intact. Cut small slice off bottom of each pear so it will stand upright when served. Arrange pears on their sides in pot. Cover and simmer gently until pears are tender but still hold their shape, turning once, about 15 minutes per side. With slotted spoon, remove to a dish, standing them upright.
Boil cooking liquid until thick and reduced to ½ cup, about 9 minutes. Strain into small bowl. Cover and chill sauce and pears separately until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
Beat cream until soft peaks form. Add cognac and sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip.
Transfer pears to plates in upright position. Spoon red wine sauce over. Pipe whipped cream around pears.
NOTE: I like to add a few strips of orange zest to the poaching liquid along with the juice called for. I’ve never bothered with the pastry bag, and I’ve served it with crème frâiche instead of the whipped cream.
REC: Sylvia's "Pear, Port and Potato Soup with Stilton" from T&T Hall of Fame...
Made this on Tuesday, and it was fabulous! Due to lack of some ingredients, I substituted brandy and white wine for white Port, blue cheese for Stilton, and used half potatoes and half carrots. Ripe Bartlett pears gave it a fruity tang. Added buttery croutons when serving. DH loved it with Blue Cheese, I liked it better WITHOUT the Blue Cheese. This was even better the next day. Thanks, Sylvia, for a winner!
http://www.finerkitchens.com/swap/forum19/77_Pear_Port_and_Potato_Soup_with_Stilton
Made this on Tuesday, and it was fabulous! Due to lack of some ingredients, I substituted brandy and white wine for white Port, blue cheese for Stilton, and used half potatoes and half carrots. Ripe Bartlett pears gave it a fruity tang. Added buttery croutons when serving. DH loved it with Blue Cheese, I liked it better WITHOUT the Blue Cheese. This was even better the next day. Thanks, Sylvia, for a winner!
http://www.finerkitchens.com/swap/forum19/77_Pear_Port_and_Potato_Soup_with_Stilton
This recipe doesn't use many pears but it is so good. Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear.
Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear
16 thin slices PANCETTA (ideally 1/8 inch thick
16 tsp SOFT FRESH GOAT CHEESE (from 5-ounce log)
2 very ripe SMALL PEARS, quartered, cored, cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices
FRESH THYME LEAVES
Preheat oven to 450° F. Place pancetta slices in a single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until golden, (about 7-8 minutes). Using spatula, slide pancetta crisps onto platter. Top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 pear slice. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.
Note:
Cook pancetta in microwave oven. 9 slices of pancetta takes about 5 - 6 minutes. Check after 4 minutes.
Mix thyme into goat cheese along with a little whipped cream cheese. Better flavor, easier to do.
Epicurious
Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear
16 thin slices PANCETTA (ideally 1/8 inch thick
16 tsp SOFT FRESH GOAT CHEESE (from 5-ounce log)
2 very ripe SMALL PEARS, quartered, cored, cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices
FRESH THYME LEAVES
Preheat oven to 450° F. Place pancetta slices in a single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until golden, (about 7-8 minutes). Using spatula, slide pancetta crisps onto platter. Top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 pear slice. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.
Note:
Cook pancetta in microwave oven. 9 slices of pancetta takes about 5 - 6 minutes. Check after 4 minutes.
Mix thyme into goat cheese along with a little whipped cream cheese. Better flavor, easier to do.
Epicurious