Jonell Galloway
Guest blogger Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food photography. He lives in Bologna, Italy. Alessandro may well be my favorite food photographer. His photos are truly art. Every single photo is a work of exquisite visual beauty, and they also make my mouth water.
Alessandro Guerani’s quick and easy recipe for spicy baked pears with thyme crème fraîche
A fruit-based dessert that is tasty, quick to prepare and can be easily stored in the refrigerator for days. Impossible? No it isn’t; read on.
Alessandro got this idea from a menu written by Gordon Ramsey, who used apples, and the crème fraiche was flavored with mint.
Alessandro wanted to give it an Italian hint, so preferred to use pears, because of their sweetness, and let the thyme and lemon zest in the cream counterbalance the sweetness of the pears, without overwhelming them.
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 medium-sized pears375 grams / 1½ cups dark brown cane sugar 4 dl / 1½ cups water 2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
2 dl / 1 cup crème fraîche
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Preparation
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Peel the pears. Keep the stem for use as decoration.
Melt the brown sugar in water over low heat.
Add cinnamon and anise. Bring to a boil and boil for for 4-5 minutes to make a syrup.
Place the pears in a baking dish. Pour syrup over pears.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes, basting the pears with the syrup from time to time.
When the pears are tender, but still maintain their shape, remove from the oven.
Leave to cool.
Whip crème fraiche, thyme and lemon zest together in a mixing bowl.
Arrange still-warm pears on serving plates. Pour syrup over pears. Insert stem in pear for decorative purposes. Garnish with crème fraîche.
GenevaLunch, 29 March 2010.
Filed under: Recipes
Tags: 10-minute gourmet meals, Alessandro Guerani, Baked pears, dessert, Desserts and puddings, Food photography, Guest bloggers, Italian restaurant, Recipes
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