Pears with Red Wine and Mascarpone Cheese

Name: Pears with Red Wine and Mascarpone Cheese
Yield: 4 pears
Ingredients: 4 firm pears; 2 cups (500 mL) full-bodied red wine; 1/4 cup (60 mL) blackcurrant liqueur (crème de cassis); 2 cloves; 4 peppercorns; 1 stick cinnamon; 1/3 cup (80 mL) sugar; 5 oz (150 g) Canadian Mascarpone cheese; Zest of 1 lemon; 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar

This is the Pears with Red Wine and Mascarpone Cheese recipe.

Prep: 10 min - 15 min
Cooking: 30 min - 35 min

Yields 4 pears

Ingredients

4 firm pears
2 cups (500 mL) full-bodied red wine
1/4 cup (60 mL) blackcurrant liqueur (crème de cassis)
2 cloves
4 peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
1/3 cup (80 mL) sugar
5 oz (150 g) Canadian Mascarpone cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

Boil wine with 1/3 cup (80 mL) of sugar, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon for 10 minutes.

Peel pears, leaving stem. Using a melon scoop or a small knife and working from the bottom of the fruit, remove pips and core.

Place pears in wine and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and poach pears until soft, 10-15 minutes. Pears must remain firm enough to keep their shape after being cooked. Remove from wine and let cool.

Strain wine, pour back into saucepan and add blackcurrant liqueur. Reduce until syrupy and let cool.

Beat Canadian Mascarpone with lemon zest and 1 tbsp (15 mL) of sugar. Stuff pears with cheese mixture, place on plates and pour over wine and blackcurrant syrup.

Jean Soulard, Executive Chef, Le Château Frontenac