Roquefort Pear And Walnut Toasts Recipes

PEARS WITH ROQUEFORT AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Peel pears, halve and remove the cores with a melon baller. Pour the wine with sugar and lavender in a pot. Add pears, bring to a simmer and poach for 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool in cooking liquid.
• Place the Roquefort and the mascarpone in a blender and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons pear cooking liquid, honey and nuts in a small pot. Cook the nuts until glazed while stirring. Remove the pears from the cooking liquid and drain. Top pears with Roquefort cream and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with cooking liquid and sprinkle with nuts. Sprinkle with a few lavender flowers. Serve with champagne, if desired.

ONION, WALNUT AND ROQUEFORT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• On a floured, cold surface, roll out the pie dough to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll onto the tart pan (use an 11" pan with a removable bottom).
• Gently mold the dough around the edges to completely line the pan. Roll the rolling pin over the edges of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Patch any spots with the extra dough and then freeze any remaining for later use. Chill the molded pie shell for about 20 minutes before baking or freeze, well wrapped until ready to use.
• When ready to bake, score the bottom of the tart shell with fork marks to prevent the dough from bubbling. "Blind bake" the tart shell by covering it fully with a sheet of parchment paper and filling the tart with rice or dried beans, making sure to completely fill in the shape of the shell with the beans. This weighted process will allow the crust to bake without shrinking or losing its shape.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until shape has set and the dough is lightly colored.
• Remove the beans and parchment and store for later use.
• Return the tart shell to the oven and bake another 10 minutes until it is golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a heavy based sauté pan. Add the onions and cook gently over medium heat, until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes.
• Once caramelized add the sherry and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are dry.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove to a plate and chill in the refrigerator. The onions can be made two or three days ahead.
• Toast the walnuts in the oven until lightly colored, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the nuts and then place in a colander or large holed strainer and shake until most of the bitter skins or "dust" is removed. Set aside until ready to use. The nuts can also be prepared ahead and kept well covered.
• To make the custard, simply whisk together the yolks and the heavy cream until mixed and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• To assemble, cover the bottom of the tart shell with an even distribution of the caramelized onions.
• Repeat again with the walnuts and then the Roquefort.
• Cover with the custard and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until just golden. Remove from the oven and allow to set before serving.

MULLED PEARS WITH ROQUEFORT DRESSING

Steps:

• Put the pears in a pan large enough to fit them in a single layer on the base. Pour over the wine and 300ml water, sprinkle over the sugar, then add the cinnamon stick. Put a small saucepan lid on top so the pears stay submerged under the liquid, then simmer for 10 mins until tender, but not mushy. Cool in the liquid, then chill until ready to eat. Can be made the previous day.
• Make the dressings. First, mix the vinegar and oil with seasoning in a bowl. Make the Roquefort dressing by slowly warming the cheese in a pan with the crème fraîche.
• Toast the pecans in a dry pan, then set aside. Take the pears from their poaching liquid, slice them three-quarters of the way up from the base toward the stalk end, then fan out on plates. Toss the watercress in the vinegar and oil dressing, pile onto the plates, then sprinkle over the nuts. Pour the warm Roquefort dressing around the pears or serve in shot glasses or mini jugs on the plates for guests to pour themselves.

BLUE CHEESE WALNUT TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush one side of each slice of bread with melted butter, and place butter side up on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
• In a small bowl, stir together the blue cheese, softened butter, salt and pepper. Spread this mixture over the tops of the toasted bread slices, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
• Bake for 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is melted and bubbly. Arrange on a serving tray and garnish with chopped parlsley.

PEARS STUFFED WITH ROQUEFORT AND WALNUTS IN PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Mash together cheese, bread crumbs, walnuts, and pepper to taste with a fork. Freeze mixture just until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Scoop out center of bottom of each pear with large end of a melon-ball cutter, then continue to remove core to make a 1/4-cup cavity. Fill each cavity evenly with cheese mixture and seal bottom with a small piece of bread.
• Roll out pastry 1/16 inch thick into a 15-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut dough into quarters to make 4 equal pieces.
• Stand 1 pear in center of a pastry square and brush pear all over with egg. Bring 1 corner of pastry up toward top of pear, pressing it against pear to adhere. Repeat with adjacent corner, then generously brush extending pastry fold with egg before pressing closely against side of pear. Repeat process with remaining 2 corners. Fold top points of pastry 1/4 inch down (see photo) and brush with egg. Transfer wrapped pear to a buttered large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan and chill while wrapping remaining pears (make sure pears are 5 inches apart in baking pan).
• Chill wrapped pears 30 minutes.
• Bake pears in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until fruit is just tender when pierced with a knife and pastry is golden and cooked through (pastry will shrink a bit). Cool pears at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

PEAR AND ROAST BEETS WITH ROQUEFORT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the stems from the beets. Place the beets on a rack and bake them in their skins for about an hour, or until they are tender when tested with a fork. Cool and slip off their skins.
• While the beets are cooling, place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove, cool and chop coarsely.
• Place the watercress leaves and the endive in a bowl. Whisk together the walnut oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the watercress and endive. Toss thoroughly and correct seasoning.
• Slice the beets; core and slice the pears. Divide the salad among four plates. Arrange slices of beets and pears on each salad plate. Crumble the Roquefort over the top, sprinkle with walnuts and a little more pepper and serve.

ROQUEFORT TOASTS WITH PEPPERED PEARS

Steps:

• Heat a griddle pan until very hot, brush or toss the pears with a little oil, sprinkle with the crushed pepper, then griddle for 1-2 mins on each side until nicely striped.
• Put the cheese into a mixing bowl, break it up a little with a wooden spoon, then beat it until almost smooth. Very softly whip the cream in a small bowl, then fold into the cheese and spoon into 2 small ramekins or pots.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together with some seasoning, turn the leaves in the dressing a few times to coat, then serve with the toasted sourdough, griddled pears and the cheese.

CARAMELIZED PEAR AND ROQUEFORT TART

Steps:

• To make the crust, put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until ground. Add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until most of the butter is incorporated into the flour. Add the yolk mixture and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic. Chill.
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the pears to the skillet and saute until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the pears from the skillet and repeat with the remaining pears. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough between large sheets of plastic wrap and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake the crust until it is golden, about 7 minutes more.
• Arrange the pear halves in a circle over the dough, core side down and wider end toward the edge of the pan. Fill in the center with more pears. Crumble the cheese over and around the pears.
• Whisk together the half-and- half, sugar, egg yolks and flour. Pour over the pears. Bake until the custard is set, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, simmer the port in a small saucepan until it is reduced to a syrup. While the tart is still warm and just before serving, brush the port over the pears. Cut into wedges and serve.

ROQUEFORT PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
• For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
• In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

ROQUEFORT PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, pears, onions, cheese and almonds. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinaigrette ingredients; shake well. Pour over salad; toss to coat.