Serves 4
Ingredients
- 400 ml water
- 200 g sugar
- 5 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 corella pears, ripe not soft
- 100 g soft blue cheese, such as Milawa Blue
- 100 ml cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 20 g pine nuts, lightly toasted
Method
For the poaching liquid, combine the water, sugar and spices in a large saucepan.
Place over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Peel the pears, then lower the pears into the simmering syrup, cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pears, place on a wire rack to cool.
Reserve 100 ml of the poaching liquid. Halve the pears, scoop out the core with a melon baller or teaspoon, leaving a little hollow in each pear half. Fill with a tablespoon of blue cheese.
Place in an ovenproof serving dish, put under a hot grill until the cheese begins to melt.
For the cayenne sauce, bring the remaining poaching liquid to the boil, add the cream and the cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
To serve, pour the cayenne cream sauce over the pears, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
