VANILLA POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE, BLUEBERRIES AND GRANOLA CRUMB

10 mins

30 mins

4 People

1 75cl Bottle white wine – An unoaked Riesling would perfect
250ml water
150g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod – halved and the seeds scraped and added to the liqueur
4 large pears – Conference or Beurre Bosc are ideal here – peeled and the cores removed from the base.
½ lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 x Weetons Not So Sweet Nutty Granola
1 x 250g Mascarpone
1 x blueberries to garnish

Method:

In a 1.5-2 ltr sauce pan, bring the wine, water, sugar, lemon, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod and seeds to the boil.
Carefully drop the pears into the liquid and place a piece of greaseproof paper (cartouche) close over the pears. Reduce the temperature to a low-medium heat and gently poach for approximately 30 minutes or until tender when probed with a small knife (but not mushy!)
Remove the pears from the water with a slotted spoon and place vertically on a plate in the fridge to chill down completely.
Meanwhile, remove the vanilla pod from the poaching liquid and reduce the liqueur by three quarters. Don’t allow the liquid to discolour and turn brown.
Remove from the heat and allow the liqueur to cool down.
Place a pear on each plate with a spoon full of mascarpone and sprinkle with some blueberries and a little granola for a crunchy texture. Carefully spoon a little of the syrup over the pears.

This pudding is wonderful served with a cold glass of Percheron Chenin Blanc Viognier enjoyed in the late summer sunshine!