Pears in Sabayon
Ingredients
2-3 pears (about 500g)
20g butter
15g sugar
1/2 vanilla pod
zest from 1/4 lemon
50ml apple juice (or combination of apple juice and apple brandy in equal amounts)
Sabayon
4 egg yolks
50g sugar
50ml apple juice (or 2 tablespoons apple brandy and the rest apple juice)
1/2 vanilla pod
For gratinating
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon almond flakes (or chopped walnuts or hazelnuts)
Servings: 3-4
How to prepare pears in sabayon
- Peel the pears and cut into 4-6 pieces, depending on size. Remove the cores.
- In a larger pan, melt the butter with sugar, vanilla seeds, and the remaining pods. Add the pears cut side down. Cover and let them steam for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Turn the pears and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking the pears over medium heat, turning them often so they get coated in syrup on all sides. Continue until the sauce becomes like a glaze/caramel that adheres to the pears, about 5 more minutes. If the pears brown/caramelize that is OK, just do not let the syrup burn.
- Add the apple juice and lemon zest and simmer until it reduces and has a thicker, syrup-like consistency, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the pears with all the syrup to a shallow heat-resistant dish.
* the pears can be prepared ahead of time - For the sabayon, beat the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla seeds until you get a pale yellow cream (about 3-4 minutes). Gradually add the apple juice while mixing.
- Place the bowl over steam, without the bowl touching the water. Continue mixing at lower speed until you get a foamy cream that flows in waves from the spoon.
* for both the pear caramelization and the sabayon, I used apple juice along with 7-year aged apple cider brandy from Moldova; I highly recommend it - Pour the sabayon around the pears. Sprinkle the almonds on top and then the sugar, making sure it lands more over the pears.
- Heat the oven grill (heat/flame from above) to 200°C. Place the tray with pears under the grill and leave until it forms a golden crust. It takes very little time, in maximum 1 minute it is done, so watch it the whole time, otherwise it can burn quickly.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
