Asian Pears With Vanilla Poached Kumquats Recipes

ASIAN PEARS WITH VANILLA-POACHED KUMQUATS

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into water with lime juice in a small heavy saucepan, then add pod, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer 3 minutes. Add kumquats and simmer, covered, until they just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Put pears in a heatproof bowl. Pour kumquats and syrup over pears and toss gently, then cool.
• Chill fruit, covered, at least 2 hours.

FLAMBEED VANILLA-POACHED PEARS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and boil the syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.
• To serve, pour the hot sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with the rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.

PLUM WINE POACHED ASIAN PEAR

Steps:

• Cut the Asian pears in half vertically. Use a small spoon to scoop out the core. Put the 4 halves in a pot large enough to fit the pears in a single layer.
• Cover the pears with the pomegranate juice and plum wine. Add more juice and wine if the pears are not completely covered. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let the pears come to room temperature in the pot. Remove the pears and juice from the pot and put in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat a grill to high.
• When you're ready to serve the pears, dry each half thoroughly using paper towels. Put the sugar on a shallow plate and dip the flat side of each half in the sugar. Put each pear half, flat side down, on a very hot grill and grill until the sugar is brown and bubbly.
• Transfer the pears to serving plates, flat side up. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle of each pear and garnish with mint.

FLAMBEED VANILLA-POACHED PEARS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and boil the syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.
• To serve, pour the hot sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with the rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.

ASIAN PEARS WITH VANILLA POACHED KUMQUATS

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into water with lime juice in a small heavy saucepan, then add pod, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer 3 minutes.
• Add kumquats and simmer, covered, until they just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Put pears in a heatproof bowl. Pour kumquats and syrup over pears and toss gently, then cool.
• Chill fruit, covered, at least 2 hours.

COCONUT CURRY SCALLOP, KUMQUAT, AND ASIAN PEAR CANAPES

Steps:

• In a heavy 1-quart saucepan stir curry powder into about 1 tablespoon coconut milk until dissolved. Stir in 1 teaspoon lime juice, salt, and remaining coconut milk and simmer over moderately low heat 10 minutes, or until thickened.
• Remove tough muscle from side of each scallop if necessary. If using sea scallops, cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add scallops to coconut milk mixture and poach at a bare simmer until just cooked through but still tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. Transfer scallops with poaching liquid to a small bowl. Scallops may be poached 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Cut pears crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and discard seeds and core. Cut rounds into 1-inch wedges and in a small bowl toss with remaining lime juice. Macerate pears, covered and chilled, at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours.
• Just before serving, cut kumquats crosswise into thin slices and arrange pear wedges, drained, on plates. Top each wedge with 1 kumquat slice, 1 coriander leaf, and 1 piece of scallop coated with poaching liquid.

VANILLA-GINGER ASIAN PEARS

Steps:

• Cut each pear quarter lengthwise into 4 slices, and place in a large bowl. Bring ginger, vanilla seeds and pod, sugar, and water to a boil in a small saucepan for 3 minutes. Pour mixture over pears. Press a piece of parchment directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Discard vanilla pod and ginger. Divide pears among 4 bowls, and serve with cookies or wafers on the side if desired.

TEA POACHED PRUNES & KUMQUATS

Steps:

• To poach the prunes, combine one-fourth cup of the sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan, add the tea bags (sans tags) and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring so the sugar dissolves.
• Add the prunes to hot tea syrup and steep with lid on for about 20 minutes until the prunes are tender. If your prunes are large or quite dry, they make take longer. Stir occasionally.
• Once the prunes are tender allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze them to extract additional flavor before discarding them. Set aside the prunes (with their liquid).
• To glaze the kumquats, bring 1 cup of water, the remaining one-fourth cup sugar and the kumquats to a boil in a small saucepan.
• Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them during the last few minutes as the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy. Cool to room temperature.
• Serve the prunes with a bit of their liquid in deep soup plates, with kumquats strewn over the top.