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.
