Scarlett WBaesuk - Poached Pear with Peppercorns
November 14th 2007 13:20
Baesuk - Poached Pear with Peppercorns
About Poached Pear with Peppercorns
This dish, called baesuk, Asian pear are poached until tender in liquid swimming with black peppercorns and sliced ginger. It is sweet, but has a delicate spiciness which makes a cleansing and refreshing end to a meal.
About Asian Pears
Asian Pears, also called Apple Pears. The term Asian pear describes a large group of pear varieties having crisp, juicy fruit grown in Japan. Also cultivated in California and Chile. When mature, the fruit are good to eat when harvested or for several months after picking if held in cold storage. The crisp texture of an Asian pear remains unchanged after picking or storage, unlike the flesh of European pears such as Barlett or Comice. They are sweet, crunchy to the bite and amazingly juicy.
There are three types of Asian pear:
1. round or flat fruit with green to yellow skin;
2. round or flat fruit with bronze-coloured skin and a light bronze-russet;
3. pear-shaped fruit with green or russet skin.
About Black Peppercorn
Peppercorn is the fruit of black pepper which is native to South India and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions.
Black peppercorns are sun-dried, fermented green berries from a pepper vine. This spice is ever so popular throughout the world. It has a pungent fragrance and spicy taste.
Black pepper is a digestive, a liver stimulant, and helps relieve bronchial asthma, fevers and colds, poor circulation and toothaches.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
2 Asian pears
20 black peppercorns
10 gm / ¼ oz fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
25 gm / 1 oz / 2 tablespoon sugar
To decorate
pine nuts, as required
1. Peel and core the Asian pears. Cut into six pieces.
2. Press 2 or 3 peppercorns into the smooth outer surface of each piece.
3. Place 750 ml / ¼ pints / 3 cups water in a large pan and add the ginger.
4. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the flavour of the ginger has suffused the water.
5. Add the sugar and then the pears.
6. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the pears have softened.
7. Transfer the fruit and liquid to a bowl. Cool, remove the sliced ginger and place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
8. To serve, place three pieces of pear into a small bowl for each person, pour over the liquid and decorate with pine nuts.
Tips:
If Asian pears are not available then Conference pears can be used in their place. However, they should be cored and used whole – one per person – rather than sliced.
**From “Korean Cooking”, “iShopIndia.com” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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