The Recipe Box: Poached Pears à la Chef P

Poached Pears à la Chef P

from the recipe box of A. Nonymous

As I have mentioned previously, my good friend and Executive Chef - 'Chef P' - often brings me wonderful goodies and so called 'leftovers' from his fancy gala events - and thus I get to delight in marvelous 5 star cooking that I would usually never experience!

One of my all time favorites is a side dish - almost a dessert - that he makes frequently for these events. I swear they are just about the tastiest food experience you can have. I am smitten with these morsels of culinary delight... so how ever did I discover these gems of flavor you ask?

Some time ago, Chef P brought me a huge pan of 'leftover' roasted duck, with special exotic veggies, and really the most sensational garlic-turnip mashed potatoes ever. Also in the pan however - were several small- almost tiny and purplish items - that I initially mistook for small beets. They were about the size of small limes, but I wasn't sure what they were.

I am terribly allergic to beets, so I called Chef to asked about them, and to my pleasant surprise he laughed and told me they were 'Poached Pears'. I had never heard of Poached Pears before. This was new culinary territory, but since they were safe to try, I dug right in. WOW !!

They were really flavorful, rich with that classic 'pear' flavor naturally, but infused with complex 'other' flavors. I was smitten with the delightful yet mysterious flavors, and even the lovely color. I puzzled over what the ingredients might be, but finally I called him, and just had to learn how he prepared and cooked them because they were over the moon DELICIOUS. Chef P has always been very generous with cooking info, so of course he gladly shared the following recipe, which is exactly as I it got from him.

If you make these Poached Pears exactly like this, I promise you are definitely in for a real taste treat!!!

Poached Pears à la Chef P

1. " In a sauce pan, fill approximately 1/3 of the way with red wine. Add sugar until the tartness of the wine is almost gone, then add water to achieve 1/2 on the pan.

2. Then add: Star Anise, Cinnamon Stick, Whole Clove, and a Bay leaf.

3. Brew for 20 min.

4. While brewing, peel and seed the small pears from the flower end - using a melon baller.

5. Be sure the pears will submerge fully, and poach until tender, using the tip of a paring knife.

6. Chill pan over ice - while pears are still in the cooking liquid."

7. Serve chilled.

Warning! -- Be prepared for a flavor explosion, and many compliments from your guests!

On another occasion, Chef brought some that had been cooked in Champagne... which were especially delicate in flavor and had a lovely hint of the sweet Champagne flavor throughout - Really really tasty!

The recipe is really simple, so I decided to try and make some myself for the holidays, with great success . To keep alcohol to a minimum, I substituted a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider for Champagne, and used a lesser amount of the red wine [which gives the lovely color]. This was a very very nice version also. I don't think you can go wrong making these any way you go. A wonderful treat for a fancy dinner, or just delicious snack-dessert for anytime.

For a wonderful change of pace, try making or experimenting with Poached Pears yourself, and tell us what you think. You only risk having a new favorite !? Enjoy!!

Poached Pears à la Chef P