Asian Pears With Star Anise Baked In Parchment Recipes

ASIAN PEARS WITH STAR ANISE BAKED IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to measure 12 square inches each. Juice lemon into a small bowl. Halve each pear horizontally. Dip cut sides of pear in lemon juice (to prevent browning). Using a melon baller, remove core from each half.
• Place 1 star anise in cored center of each pear. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each star anise.
• Place a pear half, cut side up, on each piece of paper. Working with one piece at a time, hold pear half in paper in the palm of your hand; gather edges of paper around fruit with your free hand. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour 1 tablespoon vermouth into pear half in parchment. Twist paper tightly around top of each fruit to seal. Bake 45 minutes; pears should be tender. Transfer packets to shallow bowls. Serve immediately, opening packets at the table.

ASIAN PEARS WITH STAR ANISE BAKED IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to measure 12 inches square each. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Halve each pear horizontally. Dip the cut sides of the pears in the lemon juice (to prevent browning). Using a melon baller, remove the core from each half.
• Place 1 star anise in the cored center of each pear half. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each star anise.
• Place 1 pear half, cut side up, on each piece of paper. Working with one at a time, hold a pear half in paper in the palm of your hand; gather the edges of the paper around the fruit with your free hand. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour 1 tablespoon vermouth into each pear half in parchment. Twist the paper tightly around the top of each fruit to seal. Bake 45 minutes; the pears should be tender. Transfer the packets to shallow bowls. Serve immediately, opening the packets at the table.

WARM PEACHES BAKED IN PARCHMENT WITH A VANILLA BEAN AND STAR ANISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice peaches into 1/2-inch wedges, sprinkle with the rum, set aside. Combine butter with brown sugar and vanilla beans. Add 1/6th of the peaches to the center of the parchment heart, add 2 pieces of star anise to each package and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla butter, start at center of the heart and fold while creasing well to enclose the package, bake just before serving for 4 minutes, open package and serve over vanilla ice cream.

STAR ANISE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Combine sugar 2 tablespoons water, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in a heavy large saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat and boil with out stirring until syrup turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes.
• Remove from heat add 1 1/4 cups of water (the mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Bring to a simmer, stirring until pieces of caramel dissolve.
• Add pears, cover and simmer until tender, turning pears once about 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl.
• Boil liquid in sauce pan until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Pour syrup over pears toss gently to coat.
• Chill until cold.
• Serve cold.

POACHED PEARS WITH STAR ANISE

Steps:

• Combine Port, sugar, 1/2 cup water and star anise in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add pears; simmer until tender and liquid is reduced to thin syrup, turning pears occasionally, about 25 minutes. Cool pears in syrup. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Slice pears and fan on plates. Drizzle syrup over. Spoon ice cream alongside.

POACHED PEARS WITH ASIAN SPICES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and spices with 5 cups water in a medium saucepan (large enough to accommodate the pears upright), and turn heat to high. Peel pears, leaving stems on, then core them.
• Lower pears into the water, and adjust heat to gentle simmer. Cook pears, turning them every 5 minutes or so, until they meet little resistance when prodded with a thin-bladed knife, usually 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, and cool pears in liquid.
• Place pears on serving plates. (At this point they can also be covered and refrigerated up to a day; they should be brought to room temperature before serving.) Reduce the poaching liquid to about a cup (it can also be stored for a day), then spoon a little over each pear before serving.

BAKED ASIAN PEAR AND BANANA WITH DATE SAUCE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put pear wedges in an 8-inch baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake until beginning to soften, about 20 minutes. Add banana; dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, until fruit is softened and pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Process dates, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a food processor until dates are coarsely chopped. With machine running, gradually add 1 cup cold water; process until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, airtight, up to 2 days; reheat before serving.
• Divide fruit between 2 plates. Drizzle with date sauce; sprinkle with walnuts. Top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt.