Poached Pears in Port Sauce


Serves 4

4 pears
equal parts Port wine & water (to fill half a large pot)
4 cloves
2 cinnamon stick
sugar, to taste
1-2 teaspoon arrow root starch
puff pastry (can be found in freezer section of grocery store)
1 egg, lightly beaten
whipping cream, whipped and sweetened to taste
sliced strawberries or melon for garnish

Skin and core pears but do not remove stem.

Combine and heat the port wine, water, cloves, cinnamon stick and sugar until sugar has completely dissolved. Poach pears for one and a half hours, rotating occasionally, or till port has penetrated all the way through. Remove pears and place in refrigerator till cooled.

Bring the port to a boil and reduce volume to one third. Add arrow root starch and thicken.

When pears have cooled, roll out puff pastry and cut into triangles large enough to surround pear. Fold and cover pears. Seal seems with egg. After you wrap the pears you will have some trimmings left over; take these and cut them into leaf shapes. You can attach them right under the stem. With the back of a knife score the puff pastry segment to resemble the veins of a leaf. Before placing into 375oF oven, spray with egg wash. Cook until they are golden brown.

Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, then serve with port sauce, whipped cream, and fresh fruit.