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Caramelized Pears with Blue Cheese ans B




Source of Recipe


Nancy
Caramelized Pears with Blue Cheese ans Black Pepper-Caramel Sauce

Serves 6

2/3 C sugar
3 firm pears, halved, seeds removed with a melon baller and 1/4 inch trimmed off the bottom of each pear so it will stand upright
2/3 C heavy cream
Salt
1/4 tsp black peppercorns, roughly crushed, you can use a heavy pan and just rock it back and forth to grind them
3 oz strong blue cheese, cut in 6 attractive wedges (Stilton is suggested, but I know LindaC would suggest Maytag :) )

Measure 1/3 C water into a 12" nonstick skillet over high heat. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, taking care not to let crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling wildly. Add the pears to the skillet, cut side down, cover, reduce the heat to med-high, and cook until the pears are nearly tender (a paring knife inserted into the center of the pears feels slight resistance), 13 to 15 minutes.

Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is golden brown and the cut sides of the pears are partly caramelized, 3 to 5 min. Pour the heavy cream around the pears and cook, shaking the pan back and forth until the sauce is smooth, deep caramel color and the cut sides of the pears are beautifully golden, 3 to 5 min.

Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully remove the pears from the pan and place cut side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Cool slightly. Season the sauce left in the pan with salt to taste and the crushed black pepper, then pour it into a liquid measuring cup.

Carefully stand each pear half upright on an individual plate and arrange a wedge of blue cheese beside it. Drizzle the plate and some of the pear with the caramel sauce. Serve immediately. You can also stand all the pears on a serving platter, passing warm caramel sauce and blue cheese separately.