Spiced Poached Pear Cocktail With Rosemary Food

SPICED PEAR COCKTAIL RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the vodka, pear juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon simple syrup to a cocktail shaker that's filled with ice.
• Shake well, about 15-20 seconds.
• Strain the cocktail into a lowball glass.
• Top off the glass with ginger beer.
• Garnish with a dehydrated pear or a slice of fresh pear.

SPICED POACHED PEAR COCKTAIL WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan combine water, wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a simmer. Add the chopped pears and cook until pears are soft and the liquid becomes syrupy, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean glass jar. Don't press the pears or the syrup will become cloudy. Discard the solids and chill syrup until ready to use.
• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, Lillet, lemon juice and pear syrup. Shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.
• Strain into 2 cocktail glasses. Twist the rosemary sprigs a few times to release the oils and garnish each glass.

POACHED PEARS IN SPICED RED WINE

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.