CARAMELIZED PEARS WITH BLACK PEPPER-CARAMEL SAUCE

Caramelized Pears With Black Pepper-Caramel Sauce image

From America's Test Kitchen. It is amazing how simple this recipe is and the extraordinary results it yields. Impressive.

Provided by DeSouter

Categories Dessert

Time 30m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

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Ingredients

1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
3 pears, halved (ripe, medium firm)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 dash table salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole roughly crushed
3 ounces blue cheese, strong cut into 6 attractive wedges (such as Stilton)

Steps:

Remove seeds from pear halves with a large melon baller, and trim off 1/4 inch from the bottom of each pear half so it will stand upright on a plate. Place the water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and pour the sugar into the center of the pan, taking care not to let the crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling wildly. Add the pears to the skillet, cut-side down, cover, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until the pears are nearly tender (a paring knife inserted into the center of the pears feels slight resistance).
Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is golden brown and the cut sides of the pears are partly caramilzed, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the heavy cream around the pears and cook, shaking the pan back and forth, until the sauce is a smooth, deep caramel color and the cut sides of the pears are beautifully golden 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully remove the pears from the pan and place cut-side up on a wire rack set over a trimmed baking sheet. Cool slightly. Season the sauce left in the pan with salt to taste and the crushed black pepper, then pour it into a liquid measuring cup.
Carefully (the pears will still be hot) stand each pear half upright on an individual plate and arrange a wedge of the blue sheese beside it. Drizzle the plate and some of the pear with the caramel sauce. Serve immediately. (Alternatively, the pears can be stood upright on a large serving platter, and the warm caramel sauce and the blue cheese can be passed separately.).
TECHNIQUE: Coring a Pear 1. Cut the fruit in half from stem to blossom end. Use a melon baller to cut around the central core with a circular motion. 2. Draw the melon baller from the central core to the top of the pear, removing the interior portion of the stem as you go.

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Adonai Montoya

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Overall, this was a good recipe, but I think I'll try a different one next time.

Mr Prodip

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The sauce was a little too sweet for my taste.

KL - 03

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I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my pears didn't come out as caramelized as I would have liked.

Muhammad Hamza

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These pears are so elegant and delicious. They're the perfect way to end a special meal.

Tamiko Turner

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I've made this recipe several times and it's always a hit. It's the perfect dessert for any occasion.

Juyel Ahmad

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This is the best caramelized pear recipe I've ever tried. I highly recommend it.

CALIFORNIA SHARK!

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I made this recipe for my family and they loved it. Even my picky kids ate it all up.

Ole Lenana

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I'm not usually a fan of pears, but these were amazing. The caramel sauce really made the dish.

Ukil Rafiqul

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These pears were so good, I ate them all in one sitting!

Orca Seo

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This recipe is a keeper! I'll definitely be making it again and again.

TheHustleTeam

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I love the combination of flavors in this recipe. The pears are sweet and juicy, the sauce is rich and decadent, and the black pepper adds a nice kick.