Red Wine Poached Pears with Roquefort and Walnuts

Holidays are typically a time to indulge and this recipe offers exactly that! This is wonderful recipe that will wow your friends or family and extremely easy to prepare. The poaching liquid imparts a fantastic flavor and vibrant color to the pears which is a perfect match for the blue cheese and crunchy walnuts. The microgreens, slightly dressed up with a hint of white balsamic vinaigrette, provide the perfect acidic balance to this dish.

Note: Prepare this up to 3 days in advance and bake them once you’re ready to serve. They are perfect as a stand-alone appetizer, or a side dish as part of a grand buffet.

Ingredients

• 2 organic D’anjou Pears, peeled, sliced in half (keep the stem), and carve out the seeds
• 1 cup micro greens
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinaigrette
• ¼ cup Roquefort blue cheese crumbles
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Poaching Liquid

• 1 bottle red wine, (Zinfandel or Shiraz is best)
• 1 ½ cups local raw honey
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger, sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Star Anise Pods

Preparation

1. Place poaching liquid ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil.
2. Drop it to a simmer and add 4 pear halves.
3. Cook the pears until a toothpick can be inserted and the pear feels tender.
4. While the pears are cooking, blend the blue cheese and walnuts together.
5. Once the pears are tender, remove them from the liquid and allow to cool for roughly 15 minutes.
6. Pack the center of the pear halves with the blue cheese mixture and place on baking trays.
7. When you’re ready to serve these, set the oven broiler on high and bake the pears until the mixture is bubbling and light golden brown.
8. Garnish the plate by lightly dressing the microgreens with the vinaigrette.

Nutrition Facts 

Photographer: Carmen Troesser