Grilled Pears With Blue Cheese And Toasted Hazelnuts
- 4 ripe pears, cored and halved
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see Note)
- 1/3 cup crumbled Midnight blue cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (see Tip)
- 4 sprigs of tarragon
- Prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, halve the pears, and brush a little oil over the cut sides.
- When the grill is hot, put the pears cut side down on the grill. Let cook undisturbed for at least 2 minutes; then peek at one and check the browning (if it sticks, it means it hasn't browned enough). Cook until the pears have nice dark grill marks, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Then flip them over and cook just until heated through and softened slightly, about 4 minutes longer. Remove the pears from the grill and set aside.
- Put the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until it has reduced to about half its original volume and has become noticeably thicker, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Divide the cheese among the pears, mounding it slightly in the fruit's cavity. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and basil over the cheese.
- To finish, drizzle with the reduced vinegar and a bit more of the olive oil.
- Tip: To toast hazelnuts, spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, shaking the pan frequently, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. (They toast from the inside out, so let your nose guide you rather than your eyes.) Remove the skins by putting the nuts on a clean kitchen towel, gathering the corners to make a bundle, and rubbing the bundle against the palm of your hand.rnNote: Though it can be hard to find, Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar would be spectacular here. It has a lovely fruity quality that's a little brighter than balsamic but reduces to the same lovely syrupy consistency.
extravirgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheese, hazelnuts, tarragon
Taken from food52.com/recipes/25694-grilled-pears-with-blue-cheese-and-toasted-hazelnuts (may not work)