Robert Wemischner

Here are two tasty seasonal renderings using Korean pears as the main ingredient. The first is savory, the second sweet.

Korean Pear Salad 

Crunchy and creamy, sweet and spicy, tart and unctuous, this is a salad that has something for everyone. Thin slices of peeled Korean pear bursting with juice are stacked on a bed of wilted Lacinato or cavolo nero black kale. Bits of blue cheese and a sprinkling of oven-roasted candied walnuts top the fruit, adding richness and textural contrast. To finish the plate, a nicely emulsified but simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and Meyer lemon juice is drizzled over all. (If Meyer lemons are unavailable, use the juice of a standard lemon. It won’t be as aromatic but it’ll work.) Once the fork hits the pear, you’ll have to give up on retaining the neat arrangement of the salad. Just dig in and enjoy.

Yield: 4 generous servings

1 bunch black Lacinato kale, cavolo nero or other tender winter green

2  large pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (the ones I used weigh about 15 ounces each before being peeled and cored)

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Candied Spiced Walnuts (see recipe below)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Remove the ribs from the kale leaves and discard. Blanch the leaves in boiling water just until tender. Drain and plunge the leaves into a bowl filled with ice water, which will set the color. Drain and dry. Set aside.

Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the pear into thin rounds, drawing the pear across the blade which is set to a thickness of less than 1/8 inch. Cut the rounds into quarters and set aside.

Make the Candied Spiced Walnuts as follows:

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. cayenne

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 egg white from a large egg

1/4 granulated sugar

5 ounces (approximately 1-1/2 cups) walnut halves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the spices, sugar and egg white. Add the walnuts and toss to coat, allowing them to drain. Then place the walnuts on a silicone mat set onto a sheet pan. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then remove from the mat. Store in an airtight container for up to one day before using. 

For the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Vinaigrette:

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. Meyer lemon juice, sieved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the oil and lemon juice together until the mixture is creamy and emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Assembling the salad:

Place a few leaves of the kale in the center of a plate. Place a cylindrical mold (open at both ends) on top of the kale and carefully layer the pear slices into it, pressing to compact them. Once the mold has been filled, carefully lift it up and away from the pears.  Top with blue cheese and walnuts.  Repeat the process to assemble the remaining servings. Then drizzle the dressing over each salad and serve immediately.

 

Ginger Poached Korean Pears

 

  

Poached in a ginger-flavored syrup, the pears take on a spicy personality while retaining their crispness and shape. Served on a pool of brilliant green tea sauce, made from powdered Japanese matcha (www.matchasource.com sells high quality tea in several grades), and then topped with pale green tea ice cream and shards of sesame candy, the pears star in a dessert that would make a fitting coda to any Asian meal.

For the ginger syrup:

2 ounces of peeled fresh ginger root, sliced into thin coins

2 quarts water

2 cups (approximately 14 ounces) granulated sugar

Place the ginger, water and sugar into a heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.

For the pears:

2 Korean pears, each weighing about 15 ounces before being peeled and cored

Peel and core the pears and then place them into the simmering ginger syrup. Cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat, turning the pears occasionally so that they are covered evenly with the syrup during the cooking process. Allow the pears to cool in the syrup. When cool, remove to a plate or container and refrigerate, covered. Reserve the syrup for use in the tea sauce below. (You will only be using a small part of it for the sauce. It is delicious, however, in hot tea, over a seasonal fresh fruit salad, or on top of your morning bowl of hot cereal).

For the matcha tea sauce:

2 t.  matcha tea

1 cup Ginger poaching liquid, or as needed to dissolve the tea and achieve the proper consistency for the sauce

Mix the tea with enough poaching liquid to make a lightly thickened sauce. Adjust the amount of syrup as needed so that the sauce just coats the bottom of the serving dish that you are using for the dessert. If necessary, pass the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any undissolved lumps of tea.

For the green tea ice cream:

8 ounces premium quality vanilla ice cream (or if you’re ambitious, use your favorite homemade version)

1 t. matcha

Using the back of a spoon, blend the tea powder into the ice cream. Refreeze and then scoop into four equal sized round or oval servings.  Store, covered, in the freezer until ready to serve the dessert.

Assembling the dessert:

1 to 2 pieces small rectangular sesame candies, for each serving, broken into pieces (Middle Eastern and Asian food stores are good sources for these)

Spoon enough green tea sauce to cover the bottom of each serving bowl. Place a half pear on top of the sauce. (If you wish, using a mandoline or a sharp knife, you may slice each half horizontally through the space where the core has been removed and then carefully restack the slices). Top with a scoop of green tea ice cream and scatter the sesame candy over the dessert. Serve immediately, with a knife, fork and a spoon.