Personal

Car Stuff

Extras

Poached Pears with a Ginger Mousseline Sauce

This recipe is from _Chinese Seasons_ by Nina Simonds. Kay Hartman
Serves 6

6 slightly underripe pears, either Bosc or Anjou
2 lemons
4 cups water [I used 2 cups water and 2 cups semi-sweet white wine]
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
6 slices gingerroot, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver
[star anise. I used 1. Next time I will try 2.]

Sauce Mousseline
6 slices gingerroot, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver
1/2 cup Madeira
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream sweetened with 1 tablespoon sugar and whipped until stiff

1. Peel the pears and cut each in half, removing the core and seeds.
Rub the peeled halves with a cut lemon half to prevent them from
turning brown.

2. Place the water, sugar, cinnamon, and gingerroot [and white wine
and star anise] in a 2-quart saucepan and heat until boiling, stirring
constantly to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium
heat.

3. Add the pears to the syrup and heat until the liquid almost boils.
Reduce the heat to low and poach the pears for 12 to 15 minutes, or
until just tender. To test, pierce with a knife. Let the pears rest
in the syrup briefly before removing and arranging on plates. [I left
the pears in the syrup like this until I was ready to serve.]

4. While the pears are poaching, make the sauce mousseline: Place
the ginerroot slices in the Madeira and lightly pinch them to infuse
the wine with their flavor. Let marinate the gingerroot slices for a
few minutes; [I marinated for a long time while I prepared other parts
of the meal] then discard them. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a
heavy saucepan and beat, by hand or with an electic mixer, until pale
yellow and creamy. Place the saucepan over a pan of barely simmering
water and add the Madeira, beating constantly. The mixture will
become very creamy and will increase in volume -- like a holandaise
sauce. This will take 10 minutes or longer. [It took me much less
than 10 minutes. The eggs were cooking and I was afraid of going too
far so I put the bowl into another bowl of ice water and stirred to
let the mixture cool.] Rmove from the heat and carefully fold in the
whipped cream. Spoon over the poached pears and serve warm.