Baked Pears Stuffed with Saga Blue Cheese
By Drew Garms, Executive Sous Chef,
Okalahoma City Golf and Country Club, Oklahoma City
A member of the American Culinary Federation
Serves 4
Pears:
4 T Unsalted Butter - cold
2 Pears - Split & Cored
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Pear Brandy
A few drops of lemon juice
1 vanilla Bean - Split
4 1-inch cubes Saga blue cheese
Streusel:
2 T Sugar
2 T Almond flour
2 T All-purpose flour
1 T Oatmeal
A pinch of salt
2 T Unsalted Butter - Cold & diced
Finish and Serve:
8 oz. Baby Lettuce
Aged balsamic vinegar - to taste
Olive oil, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper - to taste
To make pears:
•In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Place pears in skillet cut-sides down; cook until caramelized on bottom. Add remaining butter and sugar to skillet; cook until sugar starts to brown. Turn pears over; add brandy, lemon juice and vanilla bean. Baste each pear with a liquid in pan. Continue cooking until pears begin to soften, but are still quite firm. Remove pears from skillet with a slotted spoon; place a cube of cheese in center of each; set aside.
•Continue cooking caramel in pan until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
To make Streusel:
•Combine sugar, flour, oatmeal and salt in bowl of an electric mixer. Add butter; mix with paddle attachment until streusel is well mixed and holds together. (Do not over mix.)
Finish and serve:
•Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover tops of stuffed pears with streusel; Bake until streusel is golden brown and pear is soft.
•Toss lettuce with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Arrange a handful of lettuce on each plate with a warm pear half. Drizzle plate with some pear caramel.
