Poached pears with mascarpone and espresso sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 cups Water
½ cup White wine
½ cup Good Port wine
4 tablespoons Sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
2 To 3 whole cloves
4 Firm Bartlett pears
1 cup Italian mascarpone cheese,
Or other fresh, sweet, cow's
Milk cheese
2 tablespoons Clover honey
¼ teaspoon Vanilla
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons Poppy seeds for garnish
2 tablespoons Dried cherries

Directions

Bring the water, wines, sugar, and spices to a boil in a pot just large enough to hold the pears. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. While the poaching liquid is cooking, peel but do not core the pears (use a vegetable peeler for the neatest job with the least waste).

Poach the pears, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until they are just tender to the tip of a knife. Remove from the heat and cool the pears in the liquid for another 20 minutes. You can then refrigerate them (still in the liquid) for later use.

In a stainless steel bowl, combine the mascarpone, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk to form a smooth creamy filling. Place the cheese filling into a clean pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Remove the pears from the liquid, drain and dry them. Cut the pears in half lengthwise, and remove the core with a teaspoon, making a neat opening for the mascarpone filling. Slice a sliver off the round side of the pear to steady it on the plate.

Pipe a neat star-shaped dollop into the pear, place it in a serving dish, pour some espresso sauce around it and garnish with poppy seeds and dried cherries.

Yield: 4 full and 8 small portions.

c. Michael Lomonaco 1997

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