Asian Pears With Star Anise Baked In Parchment Food

ASIAN PEARS WITH STAR ANISE BAKED IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to measure 12 square inches each. Juice lemon into a small bowl. Halve each pear horizontally. Dip cut sides of pear in lemon juice (to prevent browning). Using a melon baller, remove core from each half.
• Place 1 star anise in cored center of each pear. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each star anise.
• Place a pear half, cut side up, on each piece of paper. Working with one piece at a time, hold pear half in paper in the palm of your hand; gather edges of paper around fruit with your free hand. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour 1 tablespoon vermouth into pear half in parchment. Twist paper tightly around top of each fruit to seal. Bake 45 minutes; pears should be tender. Transfer packets to shallow bowls. Serve immediately, opening packets at the table.

ASIAN PEARS WITH STAR ANISE BAKED IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to measure 12 inches square each. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Halve each pear horizontally. Dip the cut sides of the pears in the lemon juice (to prevent browning). Using a melon baller, remove the core from each half.
• Place 1 star anise in the cored center of each pear half. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each star anise.
• Place 1 pear half, cut side up, on each piece of paper. Working with one at a time, hold a pear half in paper in the palm of your hand; gather the edges of the paper around the fruit with your free hand. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour 1 tablespoon vermouth into each pear half in parchment. Twist the paper tightly around the top of each fruit to seal. Bake 45 minutes; the pears should be tender. Transfer the packets to shallow bowls. Serve immediately, opening the packets at the table.

STAR ANISE-POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons water, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 1/4 cups water (mixture will bubble vigorously). Bring to simmer, stirring until pieces of caramel dissolve. Add pears, cover and simmer until tender, turning pears once, about 5 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl. Boil liquid in saucepan until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Pour syrup over pears; toss gently to coat. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours or overnight. Divide pears and syrup among 4 shallow bowls and serve.

STAR ANISE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Combine sugar 2 tablespoons water, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in a heavy large saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat and boil with out stirring until syrup turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes.
• Remove from heat add 1 1/4 cups of water (the mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Bring to a simmer, stirring until pieces of caramel dissolve.
• Add pears, cover and simmer until tender, turning pears once about 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl.
• Boil liquid in sauce pan until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Pour syrup over pears toss gently to coat.
• Chill until cold.
• Serve cold.

POACHED PEARS WITH ASIAN SPICES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and spices with 5 cups water in a medium saucepan (large enough to accommodate the pears upright), and turn heat to high. Peel pears, leaving stems on, then core them.
• Lower pears into the water, and adjust heat to gentle simmer. Cook pears, turning them every 5 minutes or so, until they meet little resistance when prodded with a thin-bladed knife, usually 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, and cool pears in liquid.
• Place pears on serving plates. (At this point they can also be covered and refrigerated up to a day; they should be brought to room temperature before serving.) Reduce the poaching liquid to about a cup (it can also be stored for a day), then spoon a little over each pear before serving.

POACHED ASIAN PEARS WITH STAR ANISE AND TROPICAL FRUIT

Steps:

• Bring first 7 ingredients to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Peel and core pears. Add to syrup. Add enough water to cover pears. Cover pan; simmer until pears are tender, about 40 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl. Increase heat; boil liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 25 minutes. Strain syrup; pour over pears. Chill until cold. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill.)
• Stand 1 pear in center of each plate. Spoon papaya and mango around pear. Spoon syrup over and serve.

POACHED PEARS WITH STAR ANISE

Steps:

• Combine Port, sugar, 1/2 cup water and star anise in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add pears; simmer until tender and liquid is reduced to thin syrup, turning pears occasionally, about 25 minutes. Cool pears in syrup. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Slice pears and fan on plates. Drizzle syrup over. Spoon ice cream alongside.