Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [78]
2 Bosc pears with stems attached
1 tablespoon honey, preferably a very fragrant honey, such as pine, acacia, rosemary, or wildflower
1. Stir the water, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the ginger in a small pot or medium saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, cut about ¼ inch off the bottom of each of the pears, so they have a flat surface to stand on when served. Core the pears with a small melon baller. Scoop up from the bottom end into the flesh, turning the melon bailer as you press in. It usually takes about two scoops to get out all the seeds. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to make an X in the bottom of each pear, then begin coring out this X with the knife, taking care not to slice deeply into the sides or remove too much of the flesh.
3. When the water is boiling, place the pears on their sides in the pot. If you place them oppositely front to back, they will fit more easily. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, gently turning the pears in the syrup a couple of times. When done, the pears will be tender when pierced with a knife. Use a slotted spoon to remove them gently to a small bowl.
4. Strain the liquid in the pot, discarding the ginger but reserving cup of the liquid. Return this to the pot, then stir in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is boiling, cook for 3 minutes without stirring, until thickened. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the honey as well as any liquid given off by the pears in the bowl. Stir until smooth, then pour this mixture over the pears. Cool to room temperature before serving. If desired, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE makes 2 generous servings
Spiced fruit compote: it’s a dessert right out of grandmother’s kitchen. Unfortunately, when we were kids, it often turned into raisin-and-prune sludge, made in cauldron-sized batches. Here, we’ve cut down the recipe and updated it with dried red plums, pears, and nectarines. It’s sweet, perfumey, and very comforting on a cold winter night—or great for breakfast on a summer morning. The dried fruits used here are available in bulk at most gourmet markets and health food stores.
1 ¼ cup water
½ cup sugar
One 4-inch cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 star anise pod
6 dried red plum halves, roughly chopped
4 dried pear halves, roughly chopped
4 dried nectarine or peach halves, roughly chopped
1. Whisk the water and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, and anise pod. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the dried plums, pears, and nectarines. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the dried fruit is quite soft.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Discard the spices. Serve at once; or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this compote in bowls with cookies on the side, if you wish, as well as
a dollop of sweetened whipped cream
a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt
a scoop of vanilla ice cream
a small round of soft goat cheese
a spoonful of crème fraîche
a spoonful of plain yogurt
COCONUT CREPES WITH TROPICAL FRUIT SAUCE makes 6 small crepes
Although these lightly sweetened crepes are easy to make, they’re quite chic, studded with coconut and served with a sauce of puréed kiwi and passion fruit. Baby pineapples are available in some markets; look for a fruit that is very aromatic without any soft spots. If you can’t find one, substitute an 8-ounce can of pineapple chunks in juice (not syrup), drained.
FOR THE SAUCE
2 small kiwis, peeled
1 ripe baby pineapple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 ripe passion fruit (see