Poached Red Guava Food

BOSC PEARS POACHED IN RED WINE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and cut a thin slice from bottom of each if necessary to enable pears to stand upright when served. Set aside.
• Put sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and melt over moderate heat until it begins to caramelize. Continue to cook, keeping a close eye and the sugar constantly circulating. Cook until the sugar is a deep golden caramel. Stir in the butter carefully, as the mixture may bubble up. Simmer and stir until caramel sauce has developed, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean.
• Carefully arrange pears in the poaching liquid. They should be completely covered by the liquid, add water if they are not. Simmer pears, turning them occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Test by inserting a knife into the fattest part of the pear, it should come out with no resistance. Finish off with lemon juice to wake up the flavor. Gently remove the pears to a serving dish, cut side down. Pour the wine syrup over the pears. Serve with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts.

MEXICAN POACHED GUAVAS

Steps:

• Peel guavas, cut in half, scoop out the seedy center and leave the shells.
• Set aside.
• In a large saucepan combine the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, zest, juice and 2 1/2 cups water.
• Simmer and stir.
• cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Uncover, strain, return syrup to pan and bring to temp over medium heat.
• Add the fruit.
• Poach to tender but firm.
• Around 8 minutes.
• Remove fruit and boil the syrup to reduced to 1 cup.
• Remove, stir in vanilla and pour over fruit-cool and serve.

POACHED GUAVAS

Steps:

• 1. Put the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, peel the guavas and cut them in half. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Discard the seeds and put the guava shells in the syrup. When the syrup returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until the fruit is tender, but not too soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. 3. Transfer the fruit and syrup to a bowl and cool the fruit in the syrup. Stir in the vanilla. Serve cool in small bowls. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour before serving.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.