GLUTEN-FREE RASPBERRY PEARS AND VANILLA RICE
The visual delight of this dessert – borrowed in part from a cookbook called Dinner with Jackson Pollock (via Gourmet Traveller) – is that poaching the pears in a raspberry syrup, otherwise known as a Melba sauce, turns them an amazing, almost electric pink!
Unfortunately, the colour fades over time and perhaps with refrigeration.
But if you poach the pears and polish them off without too much delay you can enjoy the brilliance of that neon pink on the plate.
The creamy vanilla rice can easily be cooked the day before and gently reheated – just allow for the long slow bake.
You’ll probably end up with more rice than you need, and also more lovely raspberry syrup. But that can’t be at all bad, can it?
Jan
RASPBERRY PEARS AND VANILLA RICE
Serves 8 - 10
Vanilla Rice
200 gm Arborio rice
180 gm sugar
2 lemons, zest only
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
1.5 litres full-cream milk
250 gm sour cream
Preheat oven to 145°C. Add the rice, sugar and lemon zest to a large oven-proof dish. Add the vanilla paste to 1 litre of the milk and gently mix through the rice.
Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Stir the mixture gently, adding the rest of the milk and cook, uncovered, for another hour.
Stir rice again, adding the sour cream, and cook for a further hour, making the cooking time 3 hours in total.
Remove from the oven and mix again gently.
Keep rice warm, or when ready to serve, reheat in a low oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
Raspberry Poached Pears
300 gm raspberries, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
110 gm sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple juice
150 gm redcurrant jelly
8-10 firm beurre bosc pears, peeled
Add raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and 500ml water to a blender and puree.
Pass through a sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
Transfer liquid to a large heavy-based saucepan and add the apple juice and redcurrant jelly along with another 500ml water.
Add the pears and simmer, uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes, turning the pears gently to take on the raspberry colour all round.
Remove the pears to a flat dish. Strain raspberry syrup into a clean saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes to reduce by half. Cool a little and pour into a jug.
If reserving for the following day pour the syrup over the pears and refrigerate.
If serving immediately, place a good dollop of vanilla rice into each shallow dish. Carefully place a pear on top of each and drizzle raspberry syrup around the rice.
TIP:
If you have a lot of vanilla rice left over, spread it into a souffle dish so it comes level with the top and sprinkle with a layer of caster sugar.
Place the dish under a hot grill, but do watch it very carefully so the top caramelises without burning.