Cassis Bay Baked Pears With Blackberries Food

CASSIS & BAY-BAKED PEARS WITH BLACKBERRIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve the pears - you don't need to peel or core them - and put them, cut-side up, in a baking dish in which the fruit can sit quite snugly in a single layer. Pour the cassis and red wine over the pears, sprinkle with the sugar and tuck the bay leaves under the fruit.
• Bake - spooning the juices over the pears from time to time - until the fruits are tender right through to the centre (how long this takes depends on the ripeness of the fruit; start checking after 20 mins, but it could take as long as 45 mins). It's a good idea to turn the pears over a couple of times while they're cooking so that they are cut-side down in the liquor for part of the cooking time.
• By the time the fruit is cooked, the juice around it won't be thick, but should be syrupy and sweet enough to serve as it is. If you don't think it is, then remove the pears and bay leaves and reduce the juices by boiling them for a little while, leave to cool, then pour them back into the dish with the pears. Leave at room temperature and add the berries about 30 mins before you want to serve, spooning the juices over them, otherwise they get very soft sitting in the red wine syrup.

PEARS POACHED IN RED WINE AND CASSIS

Steps:

• Combine wine, honey, and crème de cassis in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods.Add cinnamon stick and raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill a bowl with water and add lemon juice. Peel, quarter and core pears and drop into the acidulated water. (This prevents the pears from discoloring.)
• Drain pears and add to simmering wine. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more, until pears areslightly translucent. Turn off heat and remove cinnamon stick. Add almonds. Serve warm or chilled.

BAKED PEARS

Steps:

• Core pears but do not peel.
• Place in greased 9" square pan.
• Combine oats, sugar, spices and butter until crumbly.
• Stuff pears letting excess fall into pan.
• Pour 3/4 cup apple juice into pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, basting after 30 minutes. Add more juice if necessary.
• Cool 30 minutes before serving.

BEAUJOLAIS PEARS WITH CASSIS AND PRUNES (CANNED)

Steps:

• In large nonreactive pan combine wine and sugar, bring the mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat.
• Peel the pears, removing blossom ends, but leaving stems intact. Drop them immediately into wine syrup to prevent discoloration.
• Tie cinnamon stick, broken in half, cloves, and allspice in a square of cheesecloth. Add spice bag, rosemary, and prunes to syrup; bring it slowly back to a boil, and simmer 20 minutes. (Pears don't have to be completely cooked at this point.).
• Discard spice bag and rosemary. With slotted spoon transfer pears and prunes to large (2 or 3-quart) warm jars, standing pears upright on the bottom layer and arranging the next upside down. Continue alternating until jars are filled.
• Boil syrup until reduced by about 3/4, (the equivalent of 1 bottle of wine. Stir cassis into syrup. Strain liquid through a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth; ladle it into jars, and seal them.
• Process jars in a boiling water bath: 1 hour for 2-quart jars, 1 hour and 10 minutes for 3-quart jars. Let them cool completely before checking seals and storing.

ROASTED PEARS WITH BLACKBERRIES, RICOTTA, AND LAVENDER SUGAR

Steps:

• Grind first 2 ingredients in processor until lavender is finely chopped. DO AHEAD: Lavender sugar can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter large rimmed baking sheet. Toss pears, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons lavender sugar in large bowl. Transfer pears, 1 cut side down, to baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes. Turn pears, placing other cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar; roast 20 minutes. Turn pears, skin side down. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle pears with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar. Broil until pears begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Arrange berries around pears; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar. Broil until berries begin to release juice, about 5 minutes.
• Divide pears, berries, and juice among bowls. Top with dollop of ricotta and serve.