Frisée Salad w/ Poached Pears & Spiced Red Wine Glaze
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe Bartlett pears (½ pear per serving)
- 2 cups red wine
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- ½ tsp whole cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 bay leaves
Salad
- 1 large head frisée, quartered
- ½ cup toasted walnuts*
- drizzle of olive oil
- pinch of kosher salt
- pinch & black pepper
- gorgonzola cheese, sliced into triangles
Special Equipment
- wax paper or parchment paper (to keep pears submerged while poaching)
How-to
Prep & Poach Pears
- Peel pears and slice in half. Remove seeds with a small spoon, and core with a paring knife
- Add pears to a medium saucepan with wine, water, peppercorns, cloves, allspice and bay leaves
- Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. The pears should be submerged in the liquid. It helps to keep the pears submerged by pressing a small piece of wax paper or parchment paper atop the liquid and allowing it to stay during the cooking process
- Simmer 15-20 minutes until pears are soft but not overcooked
- Remove from heat and allow pears to cool in the liquid
*Toast Walnuts (not demonstrated in video
- Preheat oven to 350-400º
- Spread walnuts on baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool
Make Red Wine Glaze
- Drain about 1 cup of the cooled red wine poaching liquid into a small sauté pan on medium-high heat
- Add sugar and reduce until syrupy, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool
Assemble Salad
- To plate, toss each quarter of a head of frisée with a drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of the cooled spiced wine reduction and a dash of salt and pepper
- Top with triangles of gorgonzola cheese and sprinkle with toasted walnuts
- Cut each pear half in half once again, and make scores in the bottom portion of the pear, creating a fanned effect. Place atop salad and drizzle with additional spiced wine glaze