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CIA Recipes

Port Poached Pears with Roquefort and Walnuts – Print This Recipe

Port Poached Pears with Roquefort and Walnuts

Yield: 10 Portions

Port Poaching Liquid

  • Port 1 quart/960 mL
  • Sugar 1 lb 4 oz/567 g
  • Cinnamon stick 1/2 ea
  • Vanilla bean, split 1 ea
  • Orange zest 3/4 oz/21 g

Poached Pears

  • Forelle pears 10 ea
  • Port Poaching Liquid, or as needed 1 quart/960 mL
  • Roquefort cheese 10 oz/284 g
  • Lightly toasted, chopped walnuts 5 oz/142 g
  • Mandarin oranges or clementines 6 ea
  • Cornstarch 1/2 oz/14 g
  • Water 1/4 cup/60 mL
  • Butter 1 Tbsp/15 mL
  1. For the poaching liquid: Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  2. For the pears: Peel the pears, leaving the stems on. Using a melon baller, core the pears from the bottom, making an opening 1/2 in/1 cm in diameter. Using a clean scouring pad, sand the outside of the pears to smooth the sides and remove any lines or ridges from peeling.
  3. Put the pears in a pot and cover with the poaching liquid. Poach until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate the pears in the liquid overnight.
  4. Gently mix together the Roquefort and walnuts.
  5. Remove the pears from the liquid and reserve 2 cups/480 mL of the poaching liquid. Cut the pears in half, keeping the half with the stem with its sister half. Stuff cavity with 3/4 oz/21 g of the filling.
  6. Cut the oranges into suprême segments and reserve.
  7. Strain the reserved poaching liquid and reduce it by one third to about 10 ½ fl oz. Make a cornstarch slurry from the cornstarch and water and add it to the simmering liquid. Stir to combine and return to a boil. When the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, whisk in the butter and hold warm.
  8. Place the stuffed pears in a 375°F/191°C oven on a parchment-lined sheet tray until the Roquefort softens but does not brown. Remove the pears from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  9. Serve 2 pear halves in a bowl with 2 Tbsp/30 mL of the sauce and orange suprêmes.

Recipe taken from: Guide to Produce Identification, Fabrication and Utilization