Pears a welcome complement to Thanksgiving staples
By Suzanne Biro
Ahh... Thanksgiving weekend, my favourite holiday. The only true holiday entirely devoted to the celebration of food and eating in the company of close friends and family. Perfect.
I was reluctant to dedicate this column to the traditional thanksgiving feast. Nothing about the history of the cranberry was particularly endearing and although the history and information regarding the turkey was interesting, I was not about to throw out a single recipe for the perfect roast turkey. Like real barbecue, the cooking of the holiday turkey can turn into an ugly disagreement among otherwise civilized family members and I was not about to roast myself over the coals with my own recipe (no pun intended).
Instead, I have decided to dedicate this column to the pear – a beautifully delicate fruit that is perfect at this time of year and a welcome addition to the holiday table too used to marshmallowed sweet potatoes, jellied cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie (although all of these are staple favourites).
Native to Asia Minor, the pear tree grew wild in prehistoric times. Along with the apple it is now one of the most common fruits in the world due, in part, to its ability to be stored, un-ripened, in cool storage for long periods of time. This increases the availability of the fruit so that one can buy good pears year round. Canadian varieties are harvested between mid-August and late October and are available from cold-storage from November to February.
Pears are among few fruits that should be picked before they are ripe. If they are left on the tree to ripen the flesh will be mushy and mealy. When buying pears they should be hard and unripe, gently yielding only at the stem end. The fruit should be free of blemishes. Store them at room temperature for a few days until they are ripe; when they gently yield to pressure and have a strong fragrance. You can prolong this ripeness a few more days by storing them in the fridge but they are best eaten when just ripe. A perfectly ripe pear can turn rotten very quickly so keep an eye on it.
There are over 5,000 varieties of pear grown today, from the common Bartlett to unusual heirloom varieties. Pears are the king of fruits in France. The highly prized Comice variety is stored with a red wax seal over the stem to prevent excess evaporation. In Canada and the United States the Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou varieties, which are readily available, are the best for cooking and baking. It is important to know that different varieties take more or less time to cook and that sometimes unripe pears are better for some recipes than ripe ones. Bartlett or Anjou can take as little as five minutes to cook while a Bosc may take an hour.
Bartlett pears, named after Enoch Bartlett of Dorchester, Massachusetts who introduced them to the States from England, are light green turning a pale yellow when ripe. Their flesh is very sweet, juicy and flavourful. This pear is great for eating raw or cooking with.
Bosc pears are long and slender with a mottled green-brown skin. They have a firm flesh and are not as sweet as other varieties. They hold their shape well when poached or baked and lend themselves well as additions to baked goods such as cakes or muffins as their dry, firm texture will not dampen the dough.
Anjou pears are squat and round with a pale green skin. They have a beautiful aroma and a subtle sweetness that is good for just eating or for using in tarts or poaching.
Pears can be used with the skin still on, but if they are to be peeled they brown very quickly. It is best to rub the flesh with fresh lemon juice or dunk peeled pears in acidulated water (water with lemon juice in it) until they are ready to be used.
Pears pair beautifully with many flavours, especially chocolate, ginger, nuts, soft and blue cheeses, port and most wines. A spiced pear compote makes a great accompaniment to roast duck or pork. Dried pears can be added to turkey stuffing for a subtle fruit taste. Pear jam made with vanilla beans is an unusual, beautifully flavoured spread for toast or baked goods and is a great Christmas gift as it is something that you can’t buy in stores.
Recipes
This recipe is wonderfully unusual at the Thanksgiving table. It comes from Gusto!, a seasonal magazine that was put out by the Globe and Mail. This comes from the Thanksgiving September 1997 issue.
Pear Hazelnut Sour Cream Pie
I have left out the pie pastry portion as any favorite 10-inch pie crust can be used. Chill the un-baked crust until ready to use. Serves 12.
2 tbsp unsalted butter
5 medium Bartlett or Anjou pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tsp vanilla
half a cup of berry sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
quarter tsp salt
half tsp ground cinnamon
half tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
half cup brown sugar, lightly packed
half cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin removed and coursely chopped
In a large, heavy skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add pears, vanilla and berry sugar. Saute until tender and lightly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Drain pears, discarding liquid (the liquid is great over ice cream or pancakes). In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt and spices.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream and brown sugar until well combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange pears evenly on bottom of pie shell and pour sour cream mixture over pears. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle hazelnuts over top. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Remove and cool on rack.
Roasted Pear and Beet Salad with Watercress and Blue Cheese
This recipe comes from the December 2000 edition of Cook’s illustrated. If watercress is unavailable, arugula could be used instead. Walnuts would be a nice addition too. Serves 4-6.
4 firm Anjou or Bartlett pears (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved and cored.
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
3 small or 2 medium beets
1 and 1 half tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
one half tsp salt
ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 bunches watercress, washed, dried, and stemmed (about 6 cups)
1.Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350F. Wrap each beet in foil and roast until a fork can be inserted and removed with little resistance, 1 to 1 and a half hours; unwrap beets. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut beets lengthwise into quarters; cut each quarter in half in wedges.
2. Heat oven to 500F. Place baking sheet in oven to preheat. Place pears, cut side down and slice lengthwise into fifths. Toss pears with butter; add sugar and toss again to combine. Spread pears in single layer on baking sheet, making sure that each slice lies flat on the surface. Roast until browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Flip each slice and roast until tender and deep golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool while preparing salad.
3. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.
4. Combine beets, blue cheese and watercress in large serving bowl. Add pears and vinaigrette; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.
