The Laughing Pear Group and Chef David Kratky Present

The Laughing Pear Groups Signature
Port Wine Poached Pear Crème Brulee
with Raspberry Couli

This is a dessert I started to make, boy, must be at least 10/12 years ago.  I was working at an amazing place in Boca Raton.  We were quite slow for a couple days and I started thinking of different ways of making creme brulee.  I have made several kind, but with my obvious passion for pears, even way back then, I wanted to do a pear creme brulee.  No matter how I tried to formulate a recipe it would never come out right.  I tried and tried, over and over again, adding a little of this, not so much of that, etc.  Then, I was like, hey why don’t I try to place the crème brulee into the pear.  Not just any pear I thought, but a Ruby Port wine poached pear.  Then, I was like how will I caramelize the sugar.  And where will I caramelize the sugar.  I think what I came up with was pretty good.  Not sure if this has been done before, but like my dad once said, “If you can think of it, there is a 100% chance it has been done.”

I hope you enjoy this luscious and exhilarating dessert.  Nothing, in my opinion, goes better with a poached pear than that taste of custard.  Crème Fraiche or Crème Anglaise is others types of cream based items that goes excellent with this type of pear preparation.  This is actually a two stage dessert, as I call them.  We are really placing two desserts into one.  Therefore, the amount of time that goes into this dessert is almost double, but make no mistake about it, when your palette hits the poached pear with the custard you will be eternally grateful. The recipe follows, as does the method.  This is for 6 Port Wine Poached Pear Crème Brulee.  If you are making for two, then cut the recipe in half.  I formulated it just for that reason; it is only my wife and I at home.  Happy cooking!

PART ONE

For the Crème Brulee

3 Cups Heavy Cream
2 Vanilla Beans, Split Lengthwise
8 Large Egg Yolks, Closer to Room Temperature
½  Cup Granulated Sugar +
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

Methodology

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a saucepan place heavy cream and split vanilla bean on stove and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and let rest for roughly 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend together.  Remove vanilla bean and place back on stove and allow coming just to a boil and removing from heat.  In a mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar.  Slowly add the cream to the eggs mixture, whisking briskly.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, place on medium heat (without letting it boil) and cook long enough for the custard to coat the back of a spoon..  Strain and pour into six 6 ounce ramekins or eight 4 ounce ramekins (There will be some custard left over which you can use on any dessert!) and place in water bath, allowing water to come up about 2/3 up to the side of the ramekins.  Cover with foil and cook for roughly 40 minutes or until the brulee jiggle just slightly.  Allow the crème brulee to cool overnight or at least 7/8 hours.  I do the night before.  Set aside the ½ cup sugar for the burning of the Pears. 

Ingredients for Raspberry Couli

1 Pint Fresh Raspberries
1 ½ Cups Water
½ Cup Sugar
Juice of ½ Lemon

Methodology

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil and then simmer on medium low for about 12 minutes.  Cool for roughly 10 minutes and place mixture in blender and blend on high speed for approximately one minute.  Strain through fine mesh strainer and chill in refrigerator until service.

PART TWO

Ingredients for the Port Wine Poached Pear

6 Bosc Pears,  Firm Yet Ripe – KEEP STEM INTACKED
½ Lemon
2 Cups Ruby Port Wine
1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
2 Cups Water
½ TSP Lemon Zest
½ TSP Orange Zest
1 Vanilla Bean, Split Lengthwise
1 Clove
4 Peppercorn
½ Cinnamon Stick
½ TSP Kosher Salt

Methodology

Peel your pears by starting from the stem side and going all the way down (In one stroke if possible) to the bottom of the pear.  Take your ½ of lemon and rub the juice all over the pears to prevent turning.  Scoop and core the pears by going through the bottom of the pear and ensuring the stem is kept in tacked; an apple corer or melon ball-er works wonders for this application.  Be sure not to split open any part of the pear while cleaning out the inside.  Set pears aside.  Gather a saucepan big enough to hold the pears nicely that will not crowd them too much.  Also, a lid that fits just right is important, as we want the pears to ensure all the flavors stay locked in with the pears.  Next bring your port wine, water, juice, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla bean, clove, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and salt to a boil.  Once to a boil place pears in the liquid, reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and cook until pears are just soft enough to stick a fork in with no effort.  Cooking time varies widely, as the size of the pear, kind of the pear, and ripeness of the pear all play a role in this.  Anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes is most likely perfect.  Gently roll your pears every few minutes to get an even cooking time and color.  Once done take off heat and allow pears to cool in their juices.  Once cooled take pears out of liquid and remove the left over ingredients and reduce the poaching liquid by two thirds.  Keep chilled for the custard process.

PART THREE – FINAL PROCESS

Now we have both the pears done and the custard done and now we are ready to complete this wonderful dessert.  Stuff the pears with the custard by filling with a teaspoon.  Sprinkle the top of the pears with the sugar and use a torch to caramelize the sugar.  Place on the raspberry Couli and serve.  Enjoy this amazing dessert.