• Poached pears in pomegranate juice with a creamy blue cheese and walnut dressing

    Serves: 4 – 6
    Cooking Time: 15 mins plus extra for steeping

    Ingredients

    • 4 firm pears, peeled, cored and halved
    • 1 litre pomegranate juice
    • 50ml red wine
    • 60ml (¼ cup) castor sugar
    • 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 star anise
    • 4 cloves
    • DRESSING
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh cream
    • 100g blue cheese
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive/avocado oil
    • walnuts, toasted to serve
    • green salad, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    Place the pears into a deep pot and pour over the juice, wine, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds and spices and cover with baking paper.

    2

    Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

    3

    Remove the pears and allow the liquid to simmer until it is reduced by half.

    4

    Place the pears on a serving dish and pour over the reduced liquid. Leave to steep overnight.

    5

    For the dressing, mix all of the ingredients well together until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.

    6

    Serve the pears together with the dressing, the walnuts and salad.