This pear salad can be made any time of the year but is my favorite during the Fall season. There are some steps to make from scratch, but you can also find all the ingredients at Trader Joe's.
Ingredients:
2 Pears (makes 8 portions) poached in simple syrup
Candied pecans (4 pecans per plate or person)
1 bag of baby arugula
6 each Belgian endive (I prefer white, but the red is also good)
Mustard vinaigrette, recipe below, or look for an oil and vinegar or mayonnaise- base, not balsamic.
Blue cheese (I like Pt. Reyes or Roquefort, but any type will do)
Candied Pecans
You can purchase these at WF, TJ, and Amazon.
Equipment needed:
Small pot or pan
Heat-resistant utensil for removing and spreading the candied nuts (I use a heat-resistant rubber spatula)
A non-stick baking pan or have aluminum foil, wax, or parchment
Spray release- (I like coconut)
Ingredients:
1 cup of raw pecans
1 cup of sugar
1-2 Tablespoons of water
Directions:
CAUTION: The process of reducing the sugar into caramel raises its temperature to around 325, so you have to be very careful when handling the final product.
1. Place sugar and water in a pan, start reducing to syrup and then to a dark golden brown. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say precisely how long it will take to get to the desired consistency, but the finished caramel must be at the golden brown stage, moving towards brown.
2. Once the caramel is ready, remove from the heat and toss the pecans in the caramel, coating them using a heat-resisting spatula (this is what I like to use)
3. Spread the nuts on a non-stick surface and let cool. Depending on how dark you cooked the caramel, you might have to break the nuts apart like candy.
Poached Pears
Traditionally, a standard simple syrup, poaching, or sweetening is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, but I usually do 50% water and 50% sugar, so they are not super sweet. You can also use store-bought products.
Equipment
Medium-sized pot
Paper towels or cloth towel
Slotted spoon or tongs to remove pears from syrup
Ingredients
2- Pears
1 ea. Vanilla bean or extract (optional)
2- cups of water
2- cups of sugar
Directions:
1. Place 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a pot, bring to a boil, and then to a simmer, set aside.
2. Take 2 harder types of pears (I tend to use D’ Anjou) and peel them with a vegetable peeler or knife. Cut in half and remove the core with an apple core, or you can cut the peeled pear into quarters and cut the core out.
3. Place the pear in the simmering simple syrup and cover with a cloth so it stays submerged. You might have to adjust the heat so the pot is simmering.
4. Depending on the size of the pears, this will probably take about 20 minutes. You will know they are done if you can easily stick a knife into them.
5. When done, immediately remove from the syrup and cool on a plate. If you think they are overcooked, immediately put them on a plate in the refrigerator.
6. The simple syrup can be used in other recipes or a cocktail. Keep it refrigerated, and this will last quite a while.
Mustard Vinaigrette
I have never seen a mustard vinaigrette at the store, so I've included the recipe below. You can also buy a dressing (not balsamic).
Equipment Needed:
Bowl
Whisk
Damp towel to place bowl on so it does not move around when whisking
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup Olive oil
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Place 2 Tablespoons of mustard in a mixing bowl (set on a damp towel so it stays secure during whisking.
2. Whisk the mustard and slowly incorporate the oil. If you go too fast, the mixture will break, and you will have to start over in another bowl, add the mustard again, and then incorporate the broken dressing.
3. Once the dressing is thick and smooth, then add the vinegar. This is really to taste, and you must be careful not to add too quickly, or the dressing will break again.
4. Next, incorporate the sweetener and salt and pepper.
Assembly / Finishing
There are a few options for serving this salad. Above is a picture of an individual presentation, but you can also cut and toss everything together and/or make a beautiful platter for the table.
1. Take the endive and remove 3 outer leaves for decoration, or if you're doing a platter, remove enough leaves to line the outside of the platter.
2. Take the pears and slice them (the picture shows the pears cut, so they are fanned out) or chop them.
3. If you made the nuts and they are stuck together, you can break them apart.
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