POACHED PEARS IN RED WINE	RECIPE BY TALLYRAND

I hope you all had a great Independence Day and I would just like to start this week by echoing David’s thoughts of last week and thank you all in the USA (and everywhere else of course) for your support for HUB-UK. Keep those emails pouring in, I am always happy to help you all out and answer your cooking questions. I have just emailed David with an idea and we may have a new feature here at TLC coming soon, so keeping dropping by for that one!

I have been away from home all this week with my fellow chef tutor; Alex, taking our students over to the east coast where they completed a butchery module at the Christchurch Polytechnic. We always stay in one of the YHA’s over there and while there I bumped into a lady that was not only from my area in Wales, not only from my little village but lives just one street away from where my cousins live, whom she knew! (and not just because he lives next door to and grew up with the lead singer of the 'Stereophonics' either.

While the students were busy learning how to break down sides of meat, I was kept busy judging in the South Island Salon Culinaire (professional cooking competitions). Among the events I judged was the omelet class; which meant having to watch the preparation of and taste thirty-two omelets . . . so if I am at your place for lunch this year don’t offer to make me an omelet! But as can be seen here, all work and no play, would make for very dull chefs . . . It’s winter here now and we had the most marvelous drive home . . . snow covered alps, everything blanketed in snow, giant icicles hanging from the waterfalls and trees and keas aplenty, what a perfect day it was . . . just perfeck!

But onto this week’s recipe, I thought it high time we ventured into the world of fruit desserts; and as can be seen here, they do not come any simpler and more impressive than this one.

CHILLED POACHED PEAR IN RED WINE FILLED WITH PRALINE CREAM AND SERVED ON A SPUN SUGAR NEST

If you cannot figure out how I prepared the two tone pear in the photo below the recipe, email me requesting the “The Secret of the Pear” . This recipe and method can also be used to great effect with other hard or pitted fruits; summer peaches are just great for this . . . perfect for cold for a summer dessert or warm for a winter one . . . just perfeck!

Ingredients for Poached Pears in Red Wine

pears	6	pc
water	1	lt
red wine	1	lt
grenadine	300	ml
brandy	150	ml
sugar	200	gm
cinnamon stick	1	pc
cloves	6	pc
orange peel	1	pc
lemon peel	1	pc
sugar	1/2	cup
water	1/2	cup
hazelnuts - chopped	1/2	cup
whipped cream	1/2	cup

How to make Poached Pears in Red Wine

Praline cream

• Combine the water and sugar in a thick bottom saucepan and simmer gently until a light coloured caramel is achieved

• Add the hazelnuts and stir, pour onto a well greased tray or sheet of greaseproof/tinfoil and allow to set and go cold (do not place in the refrigerator)

• When cold remove from tray and pulse in a food processor until it looks like large breadcrumbs or wrap in a clean tea-towel and pulverise with a rolling pin

• Fold into the whipped cream

Caution:

Be very careful as the caramel will reach a temperature of 150ºC and will burn you very easily!

Poached pears

• Peel the pears carefully, leaving the stalk intact

• Trim the base so that the pears stand up nicely

• Remove the core (with an apple corer) from the base, going up as far as possible without breaking through to the outside. This will leaving a tube like hollow.

• Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan (not aluminium) to make the cooking liquor, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the different flavours

• Place in the pears ensuring they are completed covered by the cooking liquor (if not you will have to increase the cooking liquor)

• Bring to a boil and turn down immediately to a gentle simmer

• Simmer for 8 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pears to cool in the mixture, this will ensure they are cooked and for the pears to absorb the maximum amount of flavour

• When cold, remove the pears, pat dry and pipe the cream into the ‘core’ and place in the chiller/refrigerator until required

• Place the cooking liquor back onto heat and simmer until reduced down to approx. 500 ml and allow to cool or serve warm

• Serve as required

Chef's Tip for Poached Pears in Red Wine

The chocolate fan effect is obtained by cutting out a stencil and dusting it with cocoa and then removing the stencil

The coloured tear drops is called flooding or stain-glassing and achieved by piping out melted chocolate, allowing it to set and then pouring a little coloured liquid into each.

If you cannot get pears with the leaves still attached, use some fresh bay leaves or glossy leafed angelica

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Chef's terminology:
	lt	=	litres		tsp	=	teaspoon
	ml	=	millelitres		tbs	=	tablespoon
	kg	=	kilograms		sq	=	sufficient quantity (add to taste)
	gm	=	grams		pc	=	piece, meaning a whole one of

Recipe from professional
Chef Tallyrand