Poached Pears with Chocolate Mousse and Pistachio Soil

 

Ingredients

Chocolate mousse:

Pistachio soil:

Method

  1. For the chocolate mousse, place the sugar, coffee, brandy and ½ cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and coffee.
  2. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a blender, then, with the motor  running, carefully pour in the hot coffee mixture through the feeder tube, blending until the chocolate has melted. Add the eggwhites and cream to the blender and pulse until just combined.
  3. Transfer the mousse to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 120°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  5. For the pistachio soil, place the sugar, almond meal, pistachios and flour in a mini food processor  and whiz until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir through the melted butter, then spread out onto the lined baking tray. Bake for 1 hour, stirring once, or until the crumbs are dry and lightly golden. Cool.
  6. Peel, halve and core the pears, leaving the stalks intact. Rub the flesh with the lemon. Place the sugar and verjuice in a saucepan with the vanilla pod and seeds. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then add the pears. If the liquid doesn’t quite cover the pears, add enough water to  cover.
  7. Cover the surface closely with a piece of baking paper cut to fit, then cook the pears for 20–25 minutes until tender and just translucent (the time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears). Cool the pears in the syrup, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
  8. Place 2 pear halves on each serving plate, add a scoop of chocolate mousse, drizzle with the melted chocolate, sprinkle with the pistachio soil and serve with whipped cream, if desired. Serves 4.
From the book delicious. Celebrate by Valli Little. Reproduced with the permission of delicious magazine and ABC Books.

Ingredients for Poached Pears with Chocolate Mousse and Pistachio Soil

Lemon Premium Each

$1.22 ea
$6.99
 

Golden Shore Caster Sugar 1kg

$2.99 ea
 

Spice and Co Herbs Vanilla Bean 1 pod

$5.29 ea
 

Illy Classico Ground Coffee 250g

$8.99 ea
 

Lindt Excellence Dark Cocoa 70% 100g

$3.50 ea
 

Pirovic Free Range Eggs x12 660g

$5.99 ea
 
 
 
 
 

Harris Farm Plain Flour 1kg

$1.40 ea
 

Harris Farm Flour Self Raising 1kg

$1.40 ea
 

Caputo Pizzeria Flour 1kg

$4.49 ea
 
 
 
 

Pepe Saya Buttermilk 1L

$3.99 ea
 

Pepe Saya Lemon Curd 180g

$7.99 ea
 

Pepe Saya Passionfruit Curd 180g

$7.99 ea
 

The Farm Shop Verjuice 375ml

$8.99 ea
 

Pepe Saya Maple Butter 200g

$0.00 ea