by cheese1227
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Expand4 semi-ripe Bosc pears Ask a question about this ingredient
4 12-ounce bottles of potent Ginger Beer (I used Reeds Extra Ginger Brew) Ask a question about this ingredient
4, ¼ inch disks of peeled, raw ginger Ask a question about this ingredient
The zest of one lemon, cut into strips that can easily be fished out of the poaching liquid Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups half and half Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons honey Ask a question about this ingredient
½ vanilla bean Ask a question about this ingredient
3 egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient
¼ cup white sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
¼ cup pecans, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient
4 high quality ginger snaps (I used DeBeukelaer Corp. Speculaas Crisps Belgian Ginger Cookies) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons, sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
Peel the pears, cut them from top to bottom (keep the stem on one half, if you can, for presentation’s sake) and core them. I like to dig a bigger core hole than necessary as it makes a ready-made receptacle for the crumble topping when you serve them.
Ask a question about this stepPour the ginger beer in a pan big enough to hold the pears in a single layer and add the raw ginger and lemon zest. Arrange pears cut side down in the poaching liquid. To keep the pears from floating, I invert a pan cover that is slightly smaller than the pan I am using to poach the pears and place it on top of the poaching pears. Get the liquid to a slow simmer and poach the pears until they can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. For large pears, that takes 25-30 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepWhen the pears are done, carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool completely.
Ask a question about this stepUse a slotted spoon to fish out the lemon zest and ginger and put the poaching liquid back on medium low heat to reduce to about ¾ of a cup of spicy ginger syrup. Strain the reduced syrup into a pitcher.
Ask a question about this stepTo make the crème anglaise custard, pour the half and half and honey in the top pan of a double boiler. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape its contents out of the pod. Place both the vanilla pod and its seeds into the cream mixture. With water in the bottom of the double boiler, put the pan on the heat and bring it up in temperature to just below a simmer. In a separate metal bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. When the cream is hot enough, slowly whisk 3-4 tablespoons of the hot cream into the egg mixture. Add another 3-4 tablespoons of cream to the egg mixture continuously whisking. Whisk the thinned egg mixture into the hot cream mixture and put the combination over the double-boiler heat until it reaches about 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. When it hit that mark, strain the mixture through a sieve into a pitcher and set aside to cool.
Ask a question about this stepPulse the pecans a few times in a food processor. Add the ginger snaps and pulse a few more times until they are broken down. Stir in the crystallized ginger and cranberries.
Ask a question about this stepTo assemble, pour a bit of syrup on the plate. Arrange one or two pear halves on top of it and pour a bit more syrup over the halves to give them a nice sheen. Generously fill the core holes with the crumble mixture. Either serve each plate with a small pitcher of custard, or pour a good amount over the pears before serving.
Ask a question about this stepThis is so elegant yet simple and the ingredient combo has me salivating!
Beautiful post.
Thanks Jane!
This looks just wonderful. I have never liked pies--something about the crust and its ingredients ...can't wait to make this! Thanks.
Let me know how it goes!
Nice recipe. Won't be able to join your club, though, as to me, pie is the perfect food, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So I'll eat all of the pie that you guys won't!
Oh, this looks so nice! Make some tuiles on the side, and you've got deconstructed pie, so as to keep the peace at the Thanksgiving dessert table.
What a great idea!! Maybe a lemon one, to help bring out the citrus notes in the ginger beer. I don't think I'll have time to test a recipe for those out before the contest deadline, but there is certainly time before T-day.
Thanks, Sagegreen!
I will be bringing a cherry pie to my Mom's the weekend before Tday for the big Burns gathering as it's my Dad's favorite. I checked out my jars of cherries and they seem to be thicker in consistency on the top than on the bottom. Are your's like that? I'll havae to ask Cathy if that is normal.
Both of my jars look the same - pretty thick"block " or cylinder, I guess, of the cherries surrounded by some of the syrup.
I'm actually thinking of doing some kind of a cherry cheescake instead of a pie with those beautiful cherries from the canorama. I don't do Thanksgiving day, but a large buffet the next evening so I get more leeway!
I've got people all around me admitting that pie is not a favorite. And all these years, I thought I was alone!!
Let's start a club!
If we are going to have a club. We'll need a catchy name.
Right up my alley - I don't care for pie much either!
Cathy is the author of The Art of Eating In and blogs at Not Eating Out in New York.
Just wonderful, a perfectly light dessert. Kind of crumble or crisp but much lighter. Love it!