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Poached pear salad - Roxanne 21 - 10-29-2007

Issue 6 page 32

I bypassed this many eons ago because of the calorie count---what a waste!!! This is a VERY tasty and beautifully presented salad. In my opinion, this would be a great lunchtime meal!!! The pears were perfectly cooked in the wine combo---I used a Cabernet and the Port. How can one lose with blue cheese and walnuts!!! The croutons were fun!!!

I served this with grilled lamb loin chops----not bad at all!!!! Like a 9+ !!!


Re: Poached pear salad - labradors - 10-29-2007

You were hunting pears on private property, or without a license?


Re: Poached pear salad - pjcooks - 10-29-2007

Quote:

You were hunting pears on private property, or without a license?




Leave it to you, Labs

I bypassed it too, Roxanne, for no other reason than it didn't call my name. Now I'll have to look again.... Thanks for the heads up!

PJ


Re: Poached pear salad - cjs - 10-29-2007

I make a salad very close to this one - it's where I started making my pear/port reduction years ago. If you save the reduction that you don't need for the dressing, it is wonderful drizzled over a cheese platter, a fruit platter or over ice cream.

the reductions are very similar - mine has whole cloves and allspice, plus a cinnamon stick, but very close in flavors. What a wonderful salad.


Re: Poached pear salad - Lorraine - 10-29-2007

I love poached pears, and it sounds great, other than the bleu cheese. Just can't get passed that. What would one sub? goat cheese?


Re: Poached pear salad - lxxf - 10-29-2007

I use a recipe very similar to that but with pecans instead of walnuts. I think it called for red wine and brandy or cognac and I didn't have any so I used triple sec and red wine. It was fantastic.


Re: Poached pear salad - Roxanne 21 - 10-30-2007

You could use goat or feta--IMHO


Re: Poached pear salad - Lorraine - 10-30-2007

Thx, I think I'd like to try the goat cheese. Is the recipe posted anywhere? I did a search, but can't find it.


Re: Poached pear salad - pjcooks - 10-30-2007

Here ya go, Lorraine.

Poached Pear Salad
(Cuisine, December 1997, Issue 6, p. 32)


Makes: 4 Servings Total Time: 1 Hour Rating: Easy



Garnish With:
Blue Cheese and toasted walnuts
6 cups mixed salad greens
For the Poached Pears—
Peel, Halve and Core:
4 Bosc pears

Poach Pears in Mixture of:
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup port wine
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. chopped crystallized ginger
1 cinnamon stick

For the Blue Cheese Dressing—
Reduce to 3/4 cup:
Poaching liquid from pears

Whisk Together:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Add:
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 T. finely chopped shallot
2 t. fresh thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. white pepper
1/4 cup poaching syrup

For Croutons, Cut and Toast:
8 slices white, wheat or rye bread

Toss Together:
Blue Cheese Vinaigrette





Peel pears and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a melon baller to remove core. Cut the stem out with the tip of a paring knife. Combine wines, orange juice, sugar, ginger and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Poach by placing pear cut-side-down in the liquid. (They’re easier to turn that way.) Simmer for 20 minutes, turning pears after 10 minutes. Remove pears from poaching liquid using a slotted spoon. Save liquid. Make 1/4 "-thick lengthwise cuts in pears, leaving stem ends intact. Remove a slice from the right side of the pear. (This will help it lay flat.) Slide paring knife under that side and push pear gently to fan.

Reduce the poaching liquid over high heat for 20 minutes till 3/4 cup remains. It will be a thick syrup.

Whisk the oil and vinegar together in a bowl until it is very well blended.

Add in cheese, shallot, thyme, salt and pepper. Don’t whisk the cheese smooth; leave some pieces. Whisk poaching syrup into vinaigrette. Give it another stir just before tossing with the greens.

For croutons, cut and toast bread on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Broil until golden brown, turn and repeat.

Toss greens with vinaigrette to coat. Serve any extra dressing on the side. Arrange greens on salad plates, mounding them in the middle. Carefully place fanned pear halves opposite each other on greens, with tips pointing up. Place two croutons on each salad.

Garnish salad with blue cheese crumbles and toasted walnut pieces. Serve salads soon after making them, so the greens don’t wilt.



PJ


Not exactly the way I would write the recipe, but every now and then, especially with the older recipes, C@H's format is, well,


Re: Poached pear salad - Lorraine - 10-30-2007

Thanks, PJ! Printed and in the folder!