Roasted Seckel Pears Food

ROASTED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl; combine the balsamic, butter, lemon juice and zest, sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Stir together well.
• Add the pears and gently toss to coat them.
• Arrange the pears on a nonstick baking sheet in a single layer without crowding.
• Roast until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

SUGARED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Beat egg whites in a small bowl. Place sugar in another small bowl.
• Dip bottom half of each pear in egg whites. Roll in sugar, and place pears upright on parchment paper. Let stand until dry, about 1 hour. Sugared pears are best the day they are made.

WINE POACHED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, whisk together Merlot (reserving 2 cups), star anise, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Add pears and remaining 2 cups of Merlot. Allow pears to cook in the wine and flavorings, simmering at a low boil.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mascarpone, sugar, and cream. Add fresh mint, if desired.
• Place a dollop of mascarpone cheese onto each plate. Top with 1 or 2 pears and serve.

BAKED PEARS WITH BROWN SUGAR AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Prep: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 10"x7" or a 9"x9" baking dish with parchment paper if you prefer easier cleanup, or spray it with nonstick spray. If doubling the recipe use a 9"x13" baking dish or any other rimmed baking dish that will fit pears snugly to each other (see Note 1 at the bottom).
• Peel & Core: If using a firm pear variety like Bosc, peel them. Remove the core with a melon baller or a small spoon. Leave the stems on for better visual appeal. If you're using softer pears like Anjou, keep the skin on to help them keep the shape as they bake.
• Add toppings: Set the pears cut side up inside the pan. Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon (if using). Arrange the cubed pieces of butter on top of the pears. Drizzle with vanilla extract.
• Bake for 30 minutes cut side up. Turn the pears cut side down. Spoon the caramel over the tops to prevent browning. Bake for another 20-50 minutes or until the pears are soft, and the caramel is thickened. The pears will shrink consierably if baked until the caramel is very thick.Bosc pears will take the longest to achieve the candied translucent look and caramelized taste. Other more delicate pear varieties will take less time to soften (Note 2 & 3).
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, or a sprinkle of roasted walnuts or sliced almonds. Spoon the caramel over the pears.

EDNA LEWIS'S SPICED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, toast the cloves, shaking the pan, until they're very aromatic. Add the sugar, vinegar and salt, and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the pears, and halve them lengthwise, if needed, to fit the pan. (You can pick out the seeds if you like.) Carefully place the pears in the syrup, and simmer gently.
• Stir the pears every few minutes, to make sure they cook evenly, especially if the hot syrup doesn't completely submerge them. Cook them until they are just tender at their thickest parts; check with a toothpick after 15 minutes of cooking. When the pears are ready, remove the pan from the heat and place a clean plate on top of the pears to keep them submerged in the vinegar syrup. Allow to cool for six hours or overnight.
• Serve right away, store in the refrigerator or can. If you store them in the fridge, you can separate the pears and syrup and use them independently. If you plan on canning, Lewis instructs you to strain the syrup and boil it for 5 minutes. Pack the pears in jars, cover with the hot syrup and process according to your jar manufacturer's directions.

SECKEL PEAR TART WITH POIRE WILLIAM CREAM

Steps:

• Make shell:
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 20-by 8-inch rectangle, reflouring surface as necessary. Transfer to tart pan, gently fitting dough into pan without stretching. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch, cutting off corners. Fold overhang inward to reinforce side, then trim flush with edge of pan. Reserve excess pastry for another use if desired. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights, then bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden brown all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely in pan.
• Poach pears:
• Put wine in a wide 4-quart pot and set a sieve lined with dampened flour sack cloth over it. Grate Bartlett pears (including skin) on large holes of a box grater into cloth, then bunch up cloth around mixture and squeeze as much clear juice as possible through cloth into pan with wine. Discard solids remaining in cloth. Transfer wine mixture to a 2-cup measure and add enough water, if necessary, to bring total to 2 cups liquid, then return to pan and stir in sugar.
• Carefully peel Seckel pears, leaving stems intact, then core through bottom with tip of vegetable peeler or a small knife to remove seeds.
• Bring wine mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then add pears, in 1 layer if possible. Simmer, tightly covered, turning occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a rack set over a 4-sided sheet pan to drain and cool, standing them upright. Transfer pear syrup to cleaned 2-cup measure, adding any juices from sheet pan under pears (you will have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups syrup), and reserve for pastry cream and glaze.
• Make pastry cream:
• Whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch in a small bowl, then whisk in 1 cup pear syrup. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, reserving pod for another use. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in poire William and butter. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely, its surface covered.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together poire William and gelatin in a very small bowl and let stand 1 minute.
• Bring remaining pear syrup to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, then boil, if necessary, until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove from heat.
• Remove side of tart pan. Whisk cooled pastry cream to loosen, then spread in shell. Stand pears upright on pastry cream, arranging them in 8 rows of 2 or 3.
• When glaze has cooled and thickened slightly (to speed cooling, set pan in an ice bath), brush it on pears. If glaze gels in pan, reheat very briefly.

PICKLED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Tie spices in a small cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar and sugar in stainless kettle Bring to a boil.
• Add pears and cook until tender (the pears will look clear when tender).
• Remove the pears with a spoon and fill sterilized jars.
• Boil syrup until thick.
• Pour over pears and seal.

ROASTED SECKEL PEARS WITH VANILLA MASCARPONE CREAM AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place cored pear halves cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle lemon juice over the tops of the pears, dot with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Pour about 3 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange thyme sprigs around the pears. Bake Seckel pears for about 30-40 minutes, flipping the pear halves to skin-side up halfway through baking. Larger pears will take longer to cook - estimate an additional 20 minutes or so. They are done when a fork easily slides through the flesh in the thickest part of the pear. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, pour cream into a medium mixing bowl. Slice a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the gooey vanilla seeds to the cream and stir, then throw in the bean pod too. Refrigerate the cream mixture and mixing bowl for an hour or more. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream. Add the Mascarpone and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Top each pear with a dollop of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh or roasted thyme leaves (from the pear roasting pan).

PORK ROAST WITH LADY APPLES AND SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lower third of oven. Whisk together oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage in a small bowl. Season pork with salt and pepper; brush herb mixture evenly over pork.
• Place pork, bone facing upward, in a roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast 30 minutes.
• Rotate pan, and add apples and pears, cut side down. Roast until pork is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a well; let rest 15 minutes before cutting. Transfer apples and pears to a serving bowl.
• To make the gravy: Drain fat from roasting pan. Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits on bottom of pan. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in stock and cider; season with salt and pepper. Whisk flour with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth; add to gravy. Cook, whisking occasionally, until completely combined and gravy has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter; stir until it has completely melted. Pour through a sieve into a serving bowl; discard any solids.