Blushing Pear Salad

For our New Year’s Eve Dinner, we made the ‘blushing’ pear salad.

• 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cinnamon stick
•  2 Bosc pears, peeled but keep stems attached
• 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn into pieces
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. pomegranate juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbsp. honey
• crumbled chevre
• sprinkle of candied pecans, broken up

Place pomegranate juice, sugar, wine and cinnamon into a large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and gently stir until the sugar dissolves.

Peel the pears but keep in stem intact.

Place the pear in the simmering liquid and cover.  It will take about 20 minutes until tender. Be sure to turn occasionally.  Once tender, remove from the heat and let cool down.  Turn the pears over often while cooling so the colour is even.

Divide the lettuce on two fancy plates. Halve the pears and core them. Cut each half into slices. Divide the slices over the two plates.

Combine the oil, juices, mustard and honey in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer, stirring often for about 2-3 minutes (it will thicken slightly). Add the chevre pieces and candied pecans over the top of the salad and spoon some of the warm sauce over the salad.

Absolutely scrumptuous.