Sugared Seckel Pears Recipes

SUGARED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Beat egg whites in a small bowl. Place sugar in another small bowl.
• Dip bottom half of each pear in egg whites. Roll in sugar, and place pears upright on parchment paper. Let stand until dry, about 1 hour. Sugared pears are best the day they are made.

CARAMEL LADY APPLES AND SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Insert a licorice stick or bamboo skewer into the stem end of each apple and pear. Reserve. In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring, until the sugar melts. Increase the heat to high and cook until the mixture is golden amber in color. (Do not stir the mixture once you have stirred the mixture.) Remove the caramel from the heat. One at a time, dip the apples and pears in the caramel, twirling and swirling them to coat completely. Transfer the coated fruit to a wire rack and let the caramel harden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Continue dipping the apples and pears until all have been coated with the caramel. Store the caramel apples in pears in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator), wrapped in cellophane if desired, until ready to serve up to 2 days.

WINE POACHED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, whisk together Merlot (reserving 2 cups), star anise, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Add pears and remaining 2 cups of Merlot. Allow pears to cook in the wine and flavorings, simmering at a low boil.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mascarpone, sugar, and cream. Add fresh mint, if desired.
• Place a dollop of mascarpone cheese onto each plate. Top with 1 or 2 pears and serve.

PICKLED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Tie spices in a small cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar and sugar in stainless kettle Bring to a boil.
• Add pears and cook until tender (the pears will look clear when tender).
• Remove the pears with a spoon and fill sterilized jars.
• Boil syrup until thick.
• Pour over pears and seal.

SECKEL PEAR TART WITH POIRE WILLIAM CREAM

Steps:

• Make shell:
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 20-by 8-inch rectangle, reflouring surface as necessary. Transfer to tart pan, gently fitting dough into pan without stretching. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch, cutting off corners. Fold overhang inward to reinforce side, then trim flush with edge of pan. Reserve excess pastry for another use if desired. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights, then bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden brown all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely in pan.
• Poach pears:
• Put wine in a wide 4-quart pot and set a sieve lined with dampened flour sack cloth over it. Grate Bartlett pears (including skin) on large holes of a box grater into cloth, then bunch up cloth around mixture and squeeze as much clear juice as possible through cloth into pan with wine. Discard solids remaining in cloth. Transfer wine mixture to a 2-cup measure and add enough water, if necessary, to bring total to 2 cups liquid, then return to pan and stir in sugar.
• Carefully peel Seckel pears, leaving stems intact, then core through bottom with tip of vegetable peeler or a small knife to remove seeds.
• Bring wine mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then add pears, in 1 layer if possible. Simmer, tightly covered, turning occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a rack set over a 4-sided sheet pan to drain and cool, standing them upright. Transfer pear syrup to cleaned 2-cup measure, adding any juices from sheet pan under pears (you will have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups syrup), and reserve for pastry cream and glaze.
• Make pastry cream:
• Whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch in a small bowl, then whisk in 1 cup pear syrup. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, reserving pod for another use. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in poire William and butter. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely, its surface covered.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together poire William and gelatin in a very small bowl and let stand 1 minute.
• Bring remaining pear syrup to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, then boil, if necessary, until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove from heat.
• Remove side of tart pan. Whisk cooled pastry cream to loosen, then spread in shell. Stand pears upright on pastry cream, arranging them in 8 rows of 2 or 3.
• When glaze has cooled and thickened slightly (to speed cooling, set pan in an ice bath), brush it on pears. If glaze gels in pan, reheat very briefly.

ROASTED SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl; combine the balsamic, butter, lemon juice and zest, sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Stir together well.
• Add the pears and gently toss to coat them.
• Arrange the pears on a nonstick baking sheet in a single layer without crowding.
• Roast until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.