Poached Pears: The Perfect Cheeses To Compliment The Dish

Poached pears and cheese is a classic combination. The type of cheese you choose depends on the type of pear and the dish you are preparing. For instance, blue cheese is a popular pairing with poached pears, and a soft gorgonzola or triple cream blue cheese (Cambozola) works well with red wine-poached pears. If you're making a savoury dish, goat's cheese is a good option, and you can serve the poached pear on a cracker with arugula and a pecan half.

Poached pears with blue cheese

To make this dish, you'll need pears, blue cheese, and some additional ingredients for poaching the pears and creating a syrup. Pears that hold their shape well during cooking, such as Bosc or Conference pears, are ideal. For the blue cheese, a creamy variety that is not too overpowering is best, such as gorgonzola or triple cream blue cheese.

The poaching liquid can be made with red wine, port, or a combination of port, sugar, peppercorns, cloves, and vanilla bean. The pears are peeled, halved, and cored, then poached in the liquid until tender. The poaching liquid is then reduced to create a syrup, which adds a glossy and sweet finishing touch to the dish.

To serve, place the poached pears on a plate or baking sheet, add the blue cheese on top, and warm in the oven until the cheese softens and melts slightly. Finally, drizzle the wine or port syrup over the pears and enjoy!

This dish can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, making it a convenient option for entertaining or a special night in.

Wine-poached pears with triple-crème cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 3x3/4-inch strip lemon peel (yellow part only)
• 2 firm but ripe medium-size pears, peeled, stems left attached, halved lengthwise, cored
• 1 tablespoon cassis (black-currant-flavoured liqueur; optional)
• 8 ounces triple-crème cheese (such as Explorateur, Saint André, Boursault or Brillat-Savarin), cut into 4 wedges

Method:

• Combine the wine, sugar, orange juice, lemon peel, and clove in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the pear halves to the saucepan. Cut out a round of parchment paper the same size as the saucepan. Place the parchment round on top of the pears, pushing the edges of the parchment into the liquid to prevent the edges from curling up.
• Reduce the heat and barely simmer until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife, which should take about 12 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a bowl. Boil the liquid in the saucepan until it becomes slightly syrupy and is reduced to 3/4 cup, which should take about 14 minutes.
• Cool the syrup to room temperature, then stir in the crème de cassis, if desired. Pour the syrup over the pears. Cover and chill for at least 12 hours, turning the pears occasionally.
• Thinly slice the pear halves lengthwise almost to the stem end, leaving the stems attached. Spoon a generous 1 tablespoon of pear syrup onto each of the 4 plates. Top each with 1 pear half, pressing gently to fan.
• Serve with the cheese.

Tips:

• This dessert tastes great when made a day ahead, as the pears have more time to absorb the flavour of the poaching liquid.
• For a non-alcoholic version, swap the wine for a non-alcoholic alternative or fruit juice.
• If you don't have a cinnamon stick, you can experiment with ground cinnamon.

Poached pear with honey and blue cheese

Poached pears with honey and blue cheese is a simple yet impressive dessert. It is a classic combination of flavours and can be made ahead of time, making it a great choice for entertaining.

To make this dish, you will need:

• Pears (I recommend using ripe but firm Bosc pears, as they hold their shape well during cooking)
• Honey
• Blue cheese (a creamy variety like Gorgonzola or triple cream blue cheese works well)
• Fresh thyme, to garnish
• Dry white wine (or red wine for a deeper flavour and ruby-coloured pears)

Start by peeling the pears and cutting them in half. Use a teaspoon or melon baller to remove the core from each half. Warm the wine in a pot and add the pears. Poach them at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, until they are soft.

Once the pears are poached, preheat your broiler. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and place them in a baking dish. Fill each pear half with blue cheese and drizzle with honey. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

For an extra touch of elegance, you can reduce the poaching liquid to create a syrup. Simply continue cooking the wine over medium heat until it thickens and reduces by about two-thirds. Drizzle this syrup over the pears before serving.

This dish offers a beautiful balance of flavours, with the sweetness of the poached pears and honey complementing the salty, creamy blue cheese. The thyme adds a refreshing garnish, making this dessert a true delight for the senses.

Roasted pears with blue cheese

A beautiful starter for a festive meal, roasted pears with blue cheese is a simple dish that combines melting cheese, juicy pears, and a crunchy topping, playing with sweet and savoury flavours.

Ingredients

• Ripe but firm Anjou pears
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese, such as Stilton
• Dried cranberries
• Walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• Light brown sugar
• Good olive oil
• Baby arugula

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling.
• Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
• Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
• In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears.
• Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
• Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Variations

For a simpler version of this recipe, you can skip the apple cider, port, and walnut mixture, and simply fill the pear halves with blue cheese, drizzling with honey and garnishing with walnuts.

Poached pear and goat cheese appetiser

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of red wine
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 30 of your favourite crackers for entertaining
• 4 ounces of garlic and herb goat cheese
• 2 pears
• A few pecan halves
• A few pieces of arugula

Method:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the wine, water, sugar, lemon juice, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Peel, core, and quarter the pears. Add them to the saucepan and reduce the heat. Simmer the pears for a total of 20 minutes, rotating them after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Baste the pears throughout the cooking process.

Once the pears are cooked, remove them from the heat and let them sit in the wine for 20 minutes to absorb the flavours.

To assemble the appetiser, place two pieces of arugula on each cracker. Cut the pear quarters into four equal pieces and place them on top of the arugula. Add a piece of goat cheese to each pear piece, and top with a pecan half.

Variations:

While the above recipe uses red wine, you can also poach the pears in a mixture of red wine and spices such as cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom pods. This will give the dish a deeper, more aromatic flavour.

If you're looking for a sweeter option, you can also drizzle the appetiser with honey before serving.

Tips:

• Use a firm variety of pear, such as Bosc or Anjou, to ensure they hold their shape during cooking.
• For a crunchy texture, choose a flavoured cracker such as rosemary to complement the other ingredients.
• If you're short on time, you can bake the pears instead of poaching them. This will bring out their natural sweetness while speeding up the preparation process.

Frequently asked questions