Quick Pear Confit Recipes

QUICK & EASY CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add pears, one cut side down, and cook until browned, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes. Turn pears to other cut side and cook 4 minutes. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon water, swirling pan to combine. Turn pears skin side down and cook until sauce is thickened slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pinch of salt. Serve warm with ice cream.

GRUYERE WITH PEAR CONFIT

Steps:

• Peel the pears and cut them in half. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or cut them out with a knife. Slice thin and set aside. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until slightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and ginger and stir. Add the pears and reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pear slices are tender and almost translucent and the mixture is thickened, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. To serve, shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler or a cheese slicer into thin shards. Toast the bread. Spoon a mound of confit in the center of each serving plate. Fan 4 pieces of toast around the top of the plate, and pile the cheese shards around the bottom.

QUICK PEAR CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant and browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool, and roughly chop. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add pears, vinegar, honey, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until pears are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard cloves, and stir in raisins and reserved walnuts. Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RENEE'S PEAR CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Spread pears to cover bottom of the baking dish; drizzle with melted butter and maple syrup.
• Stir flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Cut softened butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, adding more flour if necessary. Sprinkle topping over pears.
• Bake in preheated oven until pears are bubbling and topping is crisp, about 30 minutes.

QUICK PEAR COBBLER

Steps:

• Melt margarine in oblong pan.
• Mix together flour, sugar and milk to smooth batter.
• Pour into melted margarine, but do not stir.
• Pour in fruit.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

PEAR AND DUCK CONFIT SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified, then whisk in shallot.
• Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pecans, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then season with salt.
• Heat skillet with any oil remaining in it over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown duck on all sides until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and tear meat into bite-size pieces and discard bones. Keep duck warm, covered, on a baking sheet in oven.
• Halve and core pears and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add pears, greens, duck, cheese, and nuts to dressing with salt and pepper to taste, then toss gently to combine.

QUICK PEAR CONFIT

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so that the pear mixture is just simmering. Simmer until the mixture is thick and of jam-like consistency, stirring every few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Yield: about 3/4 cup.