Vegetarian Christmas starter recipe for 6 people, takes only 5 mins; recipe has pear, red wine, caster sugar, cinnamon stick, pecan, watercress, white wine vinegar, olive oil, roquefort and creme fraiche.
Mulled pears with Roquefort dressing
Course: Vegetarian Christmas starter
Servings
6
servings
Prep time
20 mins
Ingredients
- Red Wine: 300ml red wine, such as Merlot
- Olive Oil: 3 tsp olive oil
- White Wine Vinegar: 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- Creme Fraiche: 125ml creme fraiche
- Watercress: couple handfuls watercress
- Caster Sugar: 3 tbsp caster sugar
- Pear: 3 firm, shapely Conference pears, peeled, halved and cored, but stalks left on
- Pecan: handful toasted pecan nuts
- Cinnamon Stick: 1 cinnamon stick
- Roquefort: 100g roquefort, crumbled
Directions
- Put the pears in a pan large enough to fit them in a single layer on the base. Pour over the wine and 300ml water, sprinkle over the sugar, then add the cinnamon stick. Put a small saucepan lid on top so the pears stay submerged under the liquid, then simmer for 10 mins until tender, but not mushy. Cool in the liquid, then chill until ready to eat. Can be made the previous day.
- Make the dressings. First, mix the vinegar and oil with seasoning in a bowl. Make the Roquefort dressing by slowly warming the cheese in a pan with the creme fraiche.
- Toast the pecans in a dry pan, then set aside. Take the pears from their poaching liquid, slice them three-quarters of the way up from the base toward the stalk end, then fan out on plates. Toss the watercress in the vinegar and oil dressing, pile onto the plates, then sprinkle over the nuts. Pour the warm Roquefort dressing around the pears or serve in shot glasses or mini jugs on the plates for guests to pour themselves.
