Pears are a cousin of the apple, but the main difference is they are best harvested unripe. Pears that are ripened on the tree change texture and the flesh is a little gritty. Ripen your pears in room temperature, then store them in the refrigerator. For checking pears like most soft fruit and avocados always just press lightly at the top near the stem, pressing on the main part will turn to a bruise later when they ripen.
For a nice Holiday BBQ try serving as a warm salad, char grill sliced pear, quickly grill prosciutto, haloumi cheese & serve on spinach leaves, cracked pepper with a drizzle of sherry vinegar & macadamia nut oil.
You also can’t go past pears poached in red wine. Peal firm pears and cut out the core from the bottom. Put into a pot with 500ml of red wine 500g of sugar a vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and a clove. Bring to a simmer, cook until tender. Remove pears and reduce the liquid to a syrup. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and dark chocolate sauce. For the sauce, pour 150ml of hot cream over 250g dark chocolate buttons, whisk until smooth.
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