PEARS IN RED WINE
So you're preparing a romantic home-made dinner for your significant other but have absolutely no idea where to start? Whats better than chocolate coated strawberries? How about the elegant, healthy dish for an appetizer? Not only elegant....but also versatile, if you're going straight into the Entree, you can serve your pears as dessert!
4 small, firm pears (peeled but stalks left intact)
500ml red wine
250ml white sugar
10 cm long lemon peel
full cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
5 ml cornflour
-Core the pears using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
-Heat the wine, sugar, peel,cinnamon and cloves ; stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and put the pears in boiling syrup.
-Slightly reduce the heat and simmer for 28-35 minutes or until soft enough.
-Remove the pears and spices from syrup and put them aside.
-Blend the cornflour with a little water and stir into the syrup. Heat until the syrup becomes glossy, then pour over the pears.
-Leave to cool
(n.b. white side plates are more appealing than any other colour for this one)
YOGHURT CREAM:
250ml chilled cream
15ml icing sugar
5ml vanilla essence
250ml plain yoghurt
fresh mint to garnish (optional)
-Just before serving, whip cream until stiff and fold in the icing sugar and vanilla essence.
-Stir in the yoghurt and spoon a little of the mixture into each pear and sprinkle the syrup as desired (Go Masterchef on it).
-Decorate with fresh mint (optional)
ENJOY!
