Mulled Crimson Pears Recipes

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.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• 2.Pears: Cut pears in half and then into thin slices. Put them in a large bowl and toss with the brown sugar, lemon juice and zest to blend, set aside.
• 3. Topping: Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the butter and almonds and break them up with your fingers integrating the dry ingredients with the butter and nuts.
• 4. Grease the bottom and sides of a shallow square baking dish (8 square inches) with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Layer the pears in the dish and top evenly with the nut topping. Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. The topping should be golden brown as well, about 40-45 minutes. Set aside to cool a few minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the wine, 5 ounces of the honey, the cloves, chiles, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla seeds, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pears. Submerge the pears fully by placing a plate small enough to fit in the pan, over the pears. Cook until tender, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Refrigerate the pears in the cooking liquid until cool, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons honey, the cream cheese and lemon zest in a bowl, and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
• Place 1 ounce of the cream cheese mixture on each plate, then top each with 2 pieces of pear, and sprinkle almonds over the top to serve.

Steps:

• Cut each pear in half lengthways, and remove the cores.
• Sprinkle the sugar over the base of a large, preferably non-stick, fry pan. Add the butter and heat until the sugar has dissolved into the melted butter. Quickly add in the pears and caramelise until they are soft but still firm and holding their shape. This will take about 10 minutes and you should toss them occasionally. Add the prunes and fry for another minute or so. Now pour in the wine, but be careful as it will spit, so hold the pan away from you, then put it back over a lower heat. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways using the tip of a sharp knife. Scrape the seeds out into the pan, also with the knife, then toss in the pod and let everything infuse for about 5 minutes.
• Lift out the pears and prunes and set aside, then reduce the wine until it is good and gooey and thick, for about 8-10 minutes. That's it really. Just pop the fruit back in and serve hot or cold with the lemon zest on top.

Steps:

• Day before --
• Put sugar, 300ml water and wine in a large pan. Add orange, lemon and cinnamon and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove orange, lemon and cinnamon and add pears. Simmer for 15 minutes Cover and stand overnight in a cool place.
• On the day --
• Remove pears and set aside. Bring liquid to boil and boil for about 20 mins until thick and syrupy.
• To serve warm, add the pears now and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• To serve cold allow syrup to cool and serve poured over pears.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients except the pears in a large pan and cover with a tight- fitting lid. Cook on a low heat for 1 hr, then stir through the pears. Cover and cook for 1 hr more until the cabbage is really tender. If at any point the cabbage looks dry, add a splash of water. If there is still liquid in the pan at the end, turn the heat right up to evaporate it. Season with a little salt and serve. The cabbage can be prepared ahead and either chilled or frozen. Then reheat in the pan or in a microwave.

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange, forming long spiral strip. Transfer peel to heavy large pot. Halve orange; squeeze juice into pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Boil over high heat 3 minutes. Add pears, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Simmer liquid uncovered in pot until reduced to 4 cups, about 10 minutes. Pour liquid over pears; cool. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Place 1 pear in each of 6 shallow bowls. Pour liquid over pears and serve.