South Coast Winery Resort & Spa Poached Pear Salad

Recipe Courtesy of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa | The Vineyard Rose Restaurant



Ingredients:



Salad: 

1 head Boston lettuce 

3/4 cup pear vinaigrette (recipe follows) 

4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled 

1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted 

2 poached pears
halved and cored (recipe follows)



To assemble salad, wash lettuce well and drain until very dry. Toss leaves in the pear vinaigrette in a salad bowl. Add the bleu cheese and pecans. Place a mound of lettuce on each of 4 plates. Serve with 1/2 a poached pear.



Poached Pears: 

4 Bosc pears 

1 cup dry white wine of choice

2 cups water

2 tbsp sugar 

1/2 vanilla bean, split 

2 whole star anise 

1 lemon peel 

1 orange peel 

1 small cinnamon stick
 


Peel pears, leaving stems intact and trimming bottom to “seat” them firmly on the bottom of a large stockpot. In the stockpot, add the wine, water, sugar, vanilla bean, star anise, lemon and orange peels, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Reserve 1/4 cup of poaching liquid for the Vinaigrette.

Pear Vinaigrette: 
2 poached pears, pureed 
1/4 cup walnut oil 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup poaching liquid from the poached pears 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.