5.0 – 1 reviews • Nut Recipes
| Level: |
Intermediate |
| Total: |
2 hr 25 min |
| Prep: |
30 min |
| Inactive: |
1 hr |
| Cook: |
55 min |
| Yield: |
4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mascarpone, room temperature
- 1/4 cup toasted, crushed pistachios
- Mint leaves, for garnish
- creme anglaise, optional for garnish
- 2 bottles, 750 ml each, Zinfandel
- 4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, plus more for garnish
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 ripe pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett, peeled
Instructions
- Place the wine, peppercorns, vanilla beans, zest, cardamom and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the saucepan to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Place the pears in the saucepan and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the pears are tender.
- Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and set aside on a plate. Allow them to cool completely.
- While the pears are cooling, strain the poaching liquid and discard solids. Return the liquid to the pan, increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup, about 5 to 10 minutes. You should have about 1/2 cup syrup. Set aside.
- When the pears are cool enough to handle, remove the inner core using a melon baller. Stuff each pear with 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone.
- To serve, pour about 2 tablespoons of the poaching syrup on a chilled appetizer plate with a pear in the center. Sprinkle toasted pistachios around the plate and garnish with mint leaves and orange zest. Drizzle with creme anglaise, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size |
1 of 4 servings |
| Calories |
911 |
| Total Fat |
14 g |
| Saturated Fat |
6 g |
| Carbohydrates |
125 g |
| Dietary Fiber |
8 g |
| Sugar |
97 g |
| Protein |
5 g |
| Cholesterol |
31 mg |
| Sodium |
108 mg |