Champagne Honey Poached Pears Food

MIMOSA POACHED PEARS WITH CHAMPAGNE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Make chocolate cake icing first: Beat cream until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 Cup of confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract and cocoa. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• 2. Core pears from the bottom, leaving stems in place. Peel pears.
• 3. In a small dutch oven, whisk together orange juice, champagne, honey and Ginger. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.
• 4. Stuff pears with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate icing each.
• 5. Add pears to champagne and orange juice simmering in the dutch oven, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. The icing will melt into the poaching liquid. This will add a subtle chocolate flavor to the pears as well.
• 6. Remove pears from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl.
• 7. In a separate large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, mix together 1/3 cup of icing with 2/3 Cup of the poaching liquid and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
• 8. Serve in a saucer type champagne glass or other small shallow dish. Spoon chocolate sauce over warm pears and garnish with a sprig of mint leaves.

POACHED PEARS IN HONEY, GINGER AND CINNAMON SYRUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, Simple Syrup, cinnamon stick halves, honey, and ginger. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the honey has melted. Add the pears and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool.
• Continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick halves and the vanilla bean and discard.
• Place each pear on a small serving plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with the honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup. Serve immediately.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Juice the lemon and orange, reserving the juiced citrus halves. Put the juice, citrus halves, wine, water, honey, ginger, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, star anise and bay leaf in a wide saucepot. Gently place the pears into the liquid. Make a circle of parchment paper that is 1/2-inch larger than the pot and cover surface completely with the parchment paper (see Cook's Note*). Make sure the pears are fully submerged but not touching the bottom of the pot. Bring the poaching liquid and pears to a boil, then reduce the heat to just below a simmer.
• Cook the pears until fork tender. Test for doneness by inserting a sharp knife in the base; there should be little resistance when fully cooked. Gently transfer pears to a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour enough poaching liquid over pears just to cover. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight; the longer the pears soak, the darker they will become.
• Strain remaining poaching liquid and return to saucepan. Cook over high heat until a syrupy consistency is achieved or the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Chill until the pears are served.
• Use a parisienne scoop to remove each pear's core, hollowing out a 1-inch wide cavity that starts at the base and extends 3/4 of the way up the pear. Transfer the Creamy Pistachio Nut Filling to a piping bag without a tip. Gently fill the pear cavity until it slightly overflows. (The overflow will help to provide a sticky surface to stand the pear up on.) Place the pear, base side down, in a bowl and surround with 1-ounce of the syrup. Serve.
• In a medium-sized bowl, cream the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla together. Stir in the pistachio nuts.
• Use immediately or refrigerate and return to room temperature before filling the pears.