Vineyard Kitchen
Recipes
Serves 8
Pears are divine in this preparation. They come out of the oven looking like bejeweled mountains capped with caramelized peaks. I prefer Bosc pears for their medium size, smooth texture and the fact that they retain their firmness when ripe. Also, their seeds sit lower in the core making them easier to remove without damaging the integrity of the fruit and lessening the chance the pear will collapse when roasted.
- 8 large Bosc Pears, ripe but firm
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sweet white wine
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Best Quality Vanilla Ice Cream
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel the pears and leave them whole keeping the stem intact if possible. Core them from the bottom using a dual sized melon baller or a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon. First remove the bottom of the core with the small end of the baller, taking out the surface with about a quarter inch of flesh then plunge the larger end of the melon baller into the same hole to remove the core and seeds. Slice the very bottom off so that the pear stands flat.
3. Add the butter to a large 12 inch sauté pan over medium high heat. When the butter starts to brown, add the pears and sauté, turning them frequently, until they are golden all over, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the heat if necessary. Sprinkle the pears with salt and then sprinkle with sugar and continue cooking, rolling the pears around with a rubber spatula, until sugar is caramelized and thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, away from the open flame, and add the wine.
4. Place the pan back on the heat and reduce the wine, be careful of flame ups as the alcohol cooks from the wine. When the wine and caramelized sugar have reduced to a thick bubbly syrup, about 10 minutes, add the water and stand the pears upright in the pan. Bring liquid to a boil and add the vanilla extract.
5. Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours basting every 15 minutes until pears are tender and caramelized and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup. Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time if the liquid reduces too quickly.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. Cool the pears to warm, periodically basting them with the caramel syrup. Place one pear each on individual plate or in shallow bowls. Place one scoop of ice cream next to each pear and spoon the cooking syrup over the pear and the ice cream.
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