Sangria Poached Pears with Goat Cheese Mousse, Grand Cru Gruyère Reserve and Wisconsin Hook’s 10-Year Cheddar Shards, Sangria Reduction, and Pineapple-Sage Sorbet

Adapted by StarChefs.com
March 2011
Yield: 20 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

Pineapple-Sage Sorbet
3½ cups pineapple water
3 cups granulated sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 ounce fresh sage leaves, chopped
Sangria Poached Pears
2 bottles Spellbound Merlot wine, California
2 cups lime juice
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup cloves
10 Concorde pears, peeled
Goat Cheese Mousse
8 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
3 ounces orange blossom honey
2 cups heavy whipping cream
To Assemble and Serve
Shards of Gruyère and 10-Year Cheddar cheeses
2½ cups sangria reduction

METHOD:

For the Pineapple-Sage Sorbet:

Combine the pineapple water and sugar in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and steep for 15 minutes on a low simmer. Strain the sorbet base and chill it over an ice bath. When the mixture is completely cool, churn it in an ice cream machine.

For the Sangria Poached Pears:

Combine the wine, lime juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer. Add the pears and poach for 2 hours, until the pears are softened. Avoid a mealy texture by poaching them slowly. Removing the pears when they are cooked, slowly reduce the poaching liquid to 2½ cups and reserve.

For the Goat Cheese Mousse:

Combine the whipped goat cheese with cream cheese and honey, and chill 30 minutes to 1 hour. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks and fold into the cold goat cheese mixture.

To Assemble and Serve:

Pipe the Goat Cheese Mousse in a spiral shape onto each plate. Dice the pears into 1-inch cubes and plate four cubes per plate with shards of both cheeses. Dot the plate with reduced poaching liquid. Put one quenelle of Pineapple-Sage Sorbet at the center of each Goat Cheese Mousse spiral and serve.