Mascarpone Gorgonzola And Poached Pear Salad Food

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE FILLING

Steps:

• Peel pears and leave stem intact. In a large saucepan, bring wine and an equal amount of cold water to a simmer. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to wine and water mixture. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and sugar, to taste. Add pears to liquid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Cool pears in wine mixture to room temperature. You can refrigerate them in the poaching liquid until you're ready to fill them.
• Remove stems from pears and set stems aside. Core pears with an apple corer, leaving pear whole.
• Whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, pinch cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag, or if you do not have one, use wax paper tightly wrapped into a cone with the corner snipped off. Pipe filling into cored pears and finish by putting the stems gently into the mascarpone filling on top of the pears.
• Bring sauce up to a simmer and reduce by half. Add butter to reduced sauce and stir until combined. Spoon generously over pears. Cool to room temperature before serving.

PEAR & GORGONZOLA SALAD

Steps:

• Toast the walnuts in a pan with a small amount of oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
• To make the salad dressing, add the olive oil, vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and oregano to a small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until well combined. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the lettuce, pear, cheese, walnuts and cranberries to a large salad bowl.
• Top the salad with half the salad dressing. Mix gently to coat the lettuce. If the salad requires more dressing, add a little extra at a time until the desired dressing ratio is reached. Serve immediately.

MASCARPONE, GORGONZOLA AND POACHED PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• The salad leaves (for serving) can be anything you want but rocket and lambs lettuce would be nice.
• The mascarpone needs to be at room temperature and the Gorgonzola cut into 2 cm cubes.
• Cut the chill in half.
• Chop the basil, chives and spring onions and put to one side.
• Thinly pare the zest from the two lemons.
• The pears should be firm cooking pears such as Comice.
• Peel the pears but leave the stalks on and keep them whole.
• You will need a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears.
• Put the chili, rosemary, bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and juice, sugar, honey and the red wine into the saucepan.
• Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the pears to the pan and some water ONLY if needed to just cover the pears, bring back to the boil and simmer for about 40 minutes - or until the pears are cooked.
• When you can easily insert a knife through the pears they are done. The cooking time will depend on the size, how ripe the pears are and the variety of pear.
• The liquid should be a spicy syrup.
• When done, remove the pears with a slotted spoon, place gently on a plate to cool - Not the serving plates at the stage.
• Now gently mix the mascarpone and Gorgonzola together and then stir in the basil, chives and spring onions.
• Arrange some salad leaves on 6 serving plates and place a pear on each.
• Add a spoonful of the cheese and a little of the spicy syrup and serve.

ARUGULA AND PEAR SALAD WITH MASCARPONE AND TOASTED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast nuts, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then sprinkle with salt to taste. Pour oil into a heatproof measuring cup.
• Stir half of warm toasted walnuts into mascarpone along with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Add oil in a slow stream to 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl, whisking, then whisk in remaining 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cool dressing.
• Halve pear lengthwise and remove core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter), then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on 4 plates, to one side, and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.
• Toss arugula with enough dressing to coat and mound alongside pear. Spoon a dollop of mascarpone mixture onto each plate between salad and pear, then sprinkle salads with remaining toasted walnuts.

HONEY-POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.

ASIAN PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the Asian pear, radicchio, baby greens, blue cheese, and pecans.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar (or honey), pinch of salt, and a few good grinds of pepper.
• Add the shallots to the vinaigrette then set aside.
• When serving, dress the greens lightly, season to taste, and serve immediately.

CHICKEN, GORGONZOLA, & PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Add chicken, walnuts, and Gorgonzola cheese and toss lightly.
• Place greens on individual salad plates.
• Arrange sliced pears in fan shape along one side on top of greens.
• With slotted spoon, divide the chicken mixture equally among plates.
• Drizzle any dressing remaining in bowl over pears and greens.