Poached Pear Salad w/ Blue Cheese

By á-47894

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle dry red wine
• 1 C orange juice
• 1 C sugar
• 2 T chopped ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 4 firm pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored
• 1/4 C minced large shallot
• 3 T champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 12 C mixed baby greens (about 5 ounce packages)
• 1 C toasted walnut pieces
• 1 C crumbled blue cheese (about 5 ounces)

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 180mins

Preparation

Step 1

Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in large wide saucepan over medium high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pear halves, cut side down. Return syrup to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer until pears are tender (20-25 minutes). All surfaces of pears need to be in syrup, which may mean turning during cooking. Can be made 1 day ahead. Remove to tray, cover and refrigerate. Before serving, leaving narrow end intact, cut pears in narrow slices, gently press to fan.

Whisk shallot, vinegar and mustard in small bowl to blend. Whisk in oil. Cover and refrigerate. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Place greens in large bowl, toss with vinaigrette to coat, mound on plates. Arrange 1 pear half atop greens on each plate. Sprinkle with walnuts and cheese. Drizzle w/ more vinaigrette if desired.