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Five-Spice Pickled Poached Pears on Wilted Asian Greens
Holiday 2013
Pickled fruit adds an interesting flavour and textural contrast to salads, especially a punchy warm salad like this one. There’s no need to pull out the canner and jars for this recipe; you quickly poach the pears in a sweet and tangy pickling liquid with fragrant spices, then reduce the liquid to make an exotic-tasting vinaigrette. Choose just-ripe pears that are still firm and a variety that holds the flavour when cooked, such as Bosc or Bartlett. Use a mixture of hearty Asian greens such as mizuna, tatsoi, baby bok choy (with the thick ends trimmed) and shredded Chinese cabbage.
Serves 8
2 whole cardamom pods, crushed
2 whole cloves
1 whole star anise
¼ tsp (1 mL) whole black peppercorns
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
2 thin slices ginger root
2 wide strips lemon zest
2 cups (500 mL) water
½ cup (125 mL) rice vinegar
¼ cup (60 mL) honey
4 firm-ripe pears
2 tbsp (30 mL) grape-seed or canola oil
Salt
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped or sliced almonds
16 cups (4 L) mixed Asian greens, about 1 lb (500 g)
1 carrot, julienned
½ sweet red pepper, julienned
1 Combine cardamom, cloves, star anise, peppercorns, salt, ginger, lemon zest, water, vinegar and honey in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat.
2 Meanwhile, peel pears and cut in half lengthwise, then scoop out cores and trim out stems. Add to pickling liquid and adjust heat to keep at a gentle simmer. Poach pears, gently turning and rearranging occasionally, for 5 to 15 minutes or until just tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to a bowl as they are ready. Let cool. Pears can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Let warm to room temperature before serving.
3 Remove any remaining spices from pickling liquid. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes or until syrupy and reduced to about ½ cup (125 mL). Transfer to a measuring cup and whisk in oil for dressing. Let stand at room temperature for up to 8 hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat before using.
4 Just before serving, slice pears lengthwise, discarding any spices that are stuck to pears. Season dressing to taste with salt.
5 Toast almonds in a large, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the dressing to the large skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add greens, a handful at a time, and toss in the skillet just until slightly wilted. Work in batches, if necessary, to prevent the first greens from getting overcooked. Transfer wilted greens to a bowl and add a little more dressing to the skillet between batches.
6 Arrange wilted greens on serving plates.Top with sliced pears, carrots and red peppers and drizzle with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with almonds.
Serves 8
