Pear Brandy Food

PEAR-BRANDY COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Pour 1 tablespoon brandy into each of 6 flutes. Put 2 teaspoons bitters in a small bowl. One at a time, add 6 sugar cubes to the bitters, turning to coat; divide among the flutes. Add a few thin pear slices to each glass and top with champagne.

PEAR BRANDY BUTTER

Steps:

• Prepare canning jars. Combine pears, sugar, orange juice, brandy and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a heavy saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook slowly until the pears are very tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon the mixture into a food processor or blender, and purée it, in batches if necessary, until it is smooth.
• Return the mixture to the heat, and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until it is very thick, another 25 to 30 minutes.
• Taste and add remaining lemon juice, if needed.
• Spoon the mixture into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to altitude.

PEAR BRANDY COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Put a sugar cube in each of 6 Champagne flutes. Add 1 teaspoon pear brandy to each flute, then about 2/3 cup Prosecco.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CARAMELIZED PEARS AND PEAR-BRANDY CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Place pork slices between plastic wrap. Using meat mallet, pound pork slices to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pears and sugar; sauté until pears are tender and deep golden, about 8 minutes.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in another large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to skillet; sauté just until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Cover. Reduce heat to medium. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet. Add shallots and thyme; sauté 2 minutes. Add eau-de-vie; boil until reduced to glaze, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add cream and pear nectar; boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Reheat pears if necessary. Spoon into center of platter. Arrange pork around pears. Pour sauce over pork.

PEAR BRANDY SOUFFLE (SOUFFLé AUX POIRES WILLIAMS)

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: Scald the milk. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until light and thick. Stir in the flour and cornstarch.
• Stir half the hot milk into the egg mixture. Then add that mixture to the remaining hot milk in the pan.
• Bring to a boil, whisking until the pastry cream thickens. Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Rub the surface of the hot cream with some butter.
• For the souffle: Peel and core the pears and put them along with the lemon juice into a food processor.
• Purée the pears and then pour into a saucepan.
• Cook the purée for 10-15 minutes. It should be thick enough to hold a shape. Allow to cool.
• Stir the cooled purée into the pastry cream and add the pear brandy. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the pear cream. It can be refrigerated up to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°F Thoroughly butter a 2-qt. soufflé dish.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the sugar and continue beating until they are glossy.
• Reheat the pear cream (if necessary) until it is hot to the touch.
• Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the warm pear cream, mixing thouroughly.
• Gently fold the cream into the rest of the egg whites and pour into the prepared dish.
• Bake the soufflé in a heated oven 20-25 minutes. The soufflé should be puffed and brown.
• To Serve, dust with powdered sugar.