Fall Poached Pear Salad With Applewood Smoked Bacon

This poached pear salad is fall on a plate.

It’s all the components of a delicious salad, all in one dish. Fruit, greens, a tangy dressing, and of course bacon! This salad is all about the pears, and poaching them really amps up the flavor. Poach like the pros with a few tips.

Chef Todd Leonard shares how to expertly make poached pears. They should sit in the poaching liquid for two days! It sounds long, but Todd says it is well worth it when they are finished. They will be a flavorful to add to your pile of fresh greens.

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Poached Pears

Ingredients

• 12 Red bartlett pears or variety of choice
• 3 quarts Ruby port wine
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Cinnamon sticks
• 4 Star anise
• 12 sprigs Lemon verbena
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Lemon zest
• 1 cup Water

Directions

Peel the pears but leave the stem on, try to peel it as smooth as you can.

In a large deep stock pot, not wide, bring the wine and all the ingredients except the pears to a light simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Add the whole peeled pears to the pot, bring back to a light simmer and then shut off heat. Pour into a bucket that will hold all the pears and place in refrigerator over night to cool and steep.

The longer you leave the pears in the wine the better it is!

When you are ready to eat them, serve whole or cut in half, cut core out and slice if desired.

Sugar Roasted Pecans

Ingredients

• 2 ounces butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups whole pecans

Directions

In a sauce pan heat butter, sugar and water together.

Add vanilla, cinnamon and salt and boil until smooth.

Place the pecans in a bowl and pour the sauce over them stirring vigorously to coat evenly.

Place nuts on sheet pan and roast in oven at 375 stirring occasionally for even cooking.

Pull out of oven and allow to cool then scrape the pan into a holding container.

Gorgonzola Panna Cotta

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Cream
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese — 8 spears
• 14 grams Gelatin sheets — bloomed with 55 grams asparagus stock (5 sheets)
• 2 grams Basil — Puree
• 2 grams Chives or parsley — pureed with 2oz cream
• 4 grams Salt
• 1/2 gram White pepper
• 2 ounces vegetable stock

Directions

Bloom gelatin and set aside.

Blanch asparagus in seasoned asparagus stock, use some of the liquid to puree asparagus top make a puree.

In a sauce pan add everything accept the goats cheese and bring to a simmer and turn to low to melt the gelatin completely.

Fold in the goats cheese and whisk until smooth.

Poor in molds or pan and set in freezer or refrigerator.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup raspberry perfect puree or berry of choice
• 1 quart blended oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

With the burr mixer, mix together the mustard, sugar, shallots and vinegar until blended and aeriated.

Add the oil slowly to form an emulsion while blending with the burr mixer.

Season with salt and pepper as needed.