Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears | 紅酒燉洋梨

附中文食譜

It's that time of the year again! As the holiday season nears and as temperatures drop, I find myself instinctively craving the scent of warm spices, the comfort of a mug of boozy hot gluhwëin, and some good old Mariah multi-octave jingle. (I like to believe that I am not the only one who has this peculiarly seasonal, recurring hankering. Listening now as I write.)

Add flair and romance to any dinner, be it a special holiday or a regular weeknight!

When it comes to an all-time favorite dessert especially fitting for this time of the year, it's none other than red wine poached pears - a classic French preparation that is not only as elegant as it is delicious, but also reigns as one of the easiest desserts to make. If you are one that has opened bottles of red wine lying around the house, perfect. If you are not, just pop one open (a cheap one will do) and into the saucepan you add some spices and pears - et voilà, in as little as 30 minutes you have a show-stopper of a dessert.

Poached pears can be served warm or chilled and made in advance; and with virtually no room for failure it makes for a terrific dessert choice for your special holiday dinner or any regular weeknight in need of some holiday cheer or a classy, romantic touch. This recipe calls for pears and the mainstays of cold-weather spices: cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, but feel free to experiment with apples, cardamon and even peppercorns. Substitute some of the wine with fresh-squeezed orange juice and try adding some peel for a more citrus-y note. No matter your concoction, the simmering dessert will infuse your kitchen with a heart-warming scent of mulled wine that transports you to the most enchanting, fairy-tale like Christmas markets across Europe.

Dessert can't get any easier than this! Besides, you are sure to have a (almost) guilt-free crowd pleaser. After all, it's just fruit and alcohol, isn't it?
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What you'll need...
4 firm ripe Bosc or Conference pears
3 cups red wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 star anise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions...

1. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the pears so they can stand upright. Peel the pears, leaving the stem intact.

2. Combine wine, sugar, spices and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer. Add the pears, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until the pears are cooked but still firm, turning the pears every 5-10 minutes to ensure even color.

3. If preparing in advance, refrigerate in poaching liquid for up to two days. When ready to serve, remove the pears and spices and boil the poaching liquid until at least reduced by half or, if desired, reduced into a syrup for drizzling. Serve with mascarpone, whipped cream, or vanilla ice-cream. Bon appétit!

【 紅酒燉洋梨 】

材料：
啤梨                         4 個
紅酒                         700 毫升
砂糖                         100 克
肉桂枝                    1 枝
丁香                        2 粒
八角                        2 粒
純雲呢拿香油      1 茶匙（可免）

做法：
1. 啤梨去皮，切勿切走啤梨蒂啊！用刀於啤梨底部輕輕切平，以確保上碟時能夠直立。
2. 紅酒注入不鏽鋼鍋中，加入肉桂枝、八角、丁香和砂糖，用中火煮至糖溶解。
3. 加入啤梨，轉慢火煮約 25-30 分鐘至軟身，期間每 5-10 分鐘翻動啤梨一次讓其均勻上色。將啤梨取出晾涼。
4. 隔掉香料，用大火將燉紅酒煮至輕微濃稠成紅酒汁。享用啤梨時可拌些紅酒汁，亦可加入忌廉、香草雪糕。

備註：煮好的啤梨可即食，或連同燉紅酒一起存放雪櫃兩天。

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Individual Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust

What to do with leftover rotisserie chicken, or the rest of that roasted turkey? What about the stray crust languishing in the freezer? Chicken pot pie springs to mind. With all that hearty, creamy filling, tender, flavorful veggies bubbling underneath a buttery, golden crust, it is impossible to resist cozying up under a hand-sewn quilt on a chilly winter day and chow down on this ultimate comfort food.

And the good news? When you have leftover roasted chicken or turkey on hand, half the work is already done for you. Using frozen puff pastry gets you another step closer and faster to the end product. And if you are really, really lazy, go for frozen mixed vegetables and throw in a can of creamy chicken soup. But that would just take all the fun out of cooking a chicken pot pie "from scratch", wouldn't it? Go get some fresh produce and give them a rough chop (precision is so unimportant here), and you will be astonished just how easy it is to have this steaming pot pie ready in no time. Chicken pot pie doesn't have to be a big ordeal, as I testified.

Dig in for heaps of chicken, veggies, and crust in every mouthful!

To prepare...
Puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 cup cooked chicken (a chicken quarter), roughly cubed or pulled
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 cremini mushrooms, stems intact, cubed
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth, or water plus a bouillon (I used vegan bouillon)
1/2 cup milk
Garlic salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, reserving some for garnish

1. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring until flour becomes golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the broth and heat to a boil.

2. On low heat, slowly stir in milk, chicken, thyme and parsley. Season with garlic salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

 

3. Heat oven to 200C/400F. Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut six strips (about 1 inch thick, depending on shape and size of your casserole).

4. Spoon chicken mixture into casserole. Weave a lattice pattern over the filling with the pastry strips. I clearly am not an expert in weaving. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Place casserole on a baking sheet and bake for 35 mins or until filling is bubbling hot and pastry is golden brown.

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Sea Coconut Snow Fungus Pear Soup Dessert

I came across some fresh, deshelled sea coconut the other day and snatched some into my basket without second thought. A curiously exotic ingredient originally endemic to the Seychelles Islands, the sea coconut has always conjured images of a mythical tree growing on the bottom of the sea - that is, until I finally googled it.

Faintly tangy and sweet, the milky white flesh of these slippery gems give an interestingly firm bite that yields to the teeth with a subtle crunch. In Cantonese cuisine, sea coconut is often simmered in soups both savory and sweet, highly regarded for its medicinal properties to ease dry coughs and to nourish the lungs.

Treat your body to a healthy, soothing dessert!

With the flu and chilly weather that's been going around in Hong Kong lately, it only seems opportune to cook up some nourishing sea coconut tong sui (糖水). Literally "sugar water", tong sui is a Cantonese specialty - not a toothache-inducing syrupy bog per se - but rather a lightly sweetened broth of nutritional goodness. In Hong Kong, tong sui is a proper dessert, served hot or cold, a typical way of ending a meal.

Here, the thinly sliced sea coconut is paired with snow fungus (雪耳/銀耳/雲耳), a powerful, beautifying tonic, along with crisp, sweet Chinese white pears (雪梨/水晶梨/鴨梨). Adding lotus seeds (蓮子) and lily bulbs (百合) further enhances the cough-soothing and yin-nourishing benefits of the soup. Sweeten moderately with rock sugar at the end. Enjoy hot or serve chilled for a very refreshing treat in summer!

To prepare...
4 sea coconuts, deshelled, thinly sliced
3 Chinese white pears, peeled, cored, and diced
1 head snow fungus
Lotus seeds
Lily bulb (dried or 1 small fresh bulb)
8 cups water
Rock sugar, to taste
Gojiberries, for garnish

1. Soak snow fungus in water for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Divide fungus into smaller pieces with kitchen scissors and discard the tough core. Rinse well with water.

2. Place sea coconut, diced pear, snow fungus, lotus seeds, lily bulb, and water in large pot. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours, covered.

3. Add rock sugar and stir to fully dissolve. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. Turn heat off. Garnish with gojiberries and serve warm or chilled!

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Parsnip, Parsley and Leek Soup

When it is cold out, nothing is more appealing than a steaming bowl of soup served alongside a chunk of country bread or some crackers. Of the winter soups, leek and potato is a timeless classic; but why not consider jazzing things up a bit this winter?

Made from seasonal parsnips and leeks, this simple, creamy, yet cream-free soup packs a punch of nutrients and flavor. Parsnips impart a natural sweetness; leeks the aroma of onion and spring onion. The soup is then lifted by a squeeze of lemon and a generous addition of fresh parsley that would not only deliver a nice, herbaceous contrast but also give a vibrant green hue.

Throw in a potato or two to thicken the soup as desired. For some extra sweetness, I used the boiling water left over from cooking the parsnips and swede in Swede and Parsnip Bake with Buttery Crumbs as the stock - because it would be a shame to pour it down the drain! Last but not least, I threw in some turkey bones to enrich the stock for good measure. Comforting served hot on a cold day, this soup is also deliciously refreshing served cold on a steamy summer day!

To prepare...

Out of parsnips? Add a potato or two!

1 1/2 tablespoon butter
3 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1-2 medium potatoes, chopped (optional)
Dash of olive oil
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or see above)
2 cups water
1 generous bunch of fresh parsley, chopped (reserve a little for garnish)
A squeeze of lemon juice

1. Heat butter in a large pot. Add chopped leeks and toss to coat with butter. When leeks begin to sizzle, lower the heat and cook until soft but do not let the leeks brown.

2. Add parsnips and potatoes if using, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Add the stock and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook until the parsnips and potatoes are tender, at least 30 minutes.

3. Tip in the parsley. Purée the soup until smooth, either by using an immersion blender or by working in batches with a blender once the soup is slightly cooled.

4. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of parsley and serve. Enjoy and stay warm!

Adapted from Elise's recipe on Simply Recipes
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Cider Braised Pork Shoulder with Apples and Cranberries

Almost as if making up for the pot roast I never made last year, this pork roast warms every corner of my house with such a jolly holiday scent that you'd think Christmas is here once again.

Pork and apples are a classic pair that are always meant for each other. Featuring in this recipe - second of my winter series highlighting fresh British ingredients - are English Bramley apples, a unique variety ideal for cooking as it retains a stronger, tangier flavor and gives a pleasantly buttery texture.

This recipe uses apple cider as the braising liquid (reminds me of New York's farmers markets in the winter!), imbueing the pork with acidity that tenderizes, and sweetness that balances the savoriness of the meat. Add in tart cranberries and mulling spices along with several idle hours in the oven, and there you have a wonderfully succulent pork roast that not only smells but also tastes like the holidays.

As no prior brining is necessary, this dish is incredibly simple - as well as economical and foolproof. Most affordable cuts like pork shoulder would do as slow braising breaks down the tough fibers in the meat. So if you are looking to do something slightly different from roasting a whole turkey on your next holiday, consider trading the Big Bird in for some juicy, tender Porky Pig... and be sure to serve up some crusty artisan bread to sop up all the essence!

To prepare...

1 kg, or 2 lb. fresh pork shoulder

Olive oil

3 medium onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup unfiltered apple cider (I used spiced cider!)

2 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of whole peppercorns

For the sauce:
2 firm Bramley apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
3 tablespoons brown sugar (or to taste, optional)
A splash more of apple cider
2-3 strips of orange peel
Fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnishing

1. Preheat oven to 170C/325F. Season pork well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof* heavy pot over moderately high heat, brown meat on all sides, turning as needed, about 8 minutes. Set pork aside.


2. Add onions to the same pot and sauté until softened and started to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 8 minutes more. Stir in cider.

*Now, if you are lucky enough to have a large oven, return pork to pot, cover pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place into the pre-heated oven.


3. Otherwise, place pork into a large casserole, pour in the cider and onions, and cover tightly with foil, pressing down firmly along the rim. Place in the oven to braise until very tender, about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Turn pork over once halfway through the time of cooking, adding in the cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, and peppercorns. 

To make the sauce...
4. When meat is nearly done in the oven, heat butter over medium heat, cook apple slices until soft and lightly golden. Remove from heat until pork is ready.

5. Remove bay leaf and transfer pork to a plate. Skim fat off the juices, then pour into the apples. Add remaining cider, 3/4 cup of the cranberries, thyme, and the orange peel. Bring to a boil until the cranberries pop and the mixture is reduced and thickened. Taste sauce, adding brown sugar if too tart. Season with more spices as you please.

6. Return pork and add the remaining cranberries to the sauce, stirring to cover meat in sauce to briefly reheat. Transfer to a serving dish or casserole and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve with a side of mash and crusty artisan bread! Bon appétit!

Recommended side: Swede and Parsnip Bake with Buttery Crumbs

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Swede and Parsnip Bake with Buttery Crumbs

January this year marks a critical game changer in my career. This week, I finally had to face the day I've anticipated for years, but one that I have also feared vehemently. And now, with my month-long preparation and nerve-wrecking assessments finally behind me, I have but only to wait patiently for my verdict and wholeheartedly get my blog back on full swing.

Earlier this month saw me briefly laying over in Manchester, England, where I indulged in classic pub fare, British real ales and hours upon hours of scouring through grocery stores dotting the downtown. Bleak as it was in Manchester during this time of the year, I was thrilled to get my hands on a variety of in-season, locally farmed produce otherwise inaccessible or entirely unaffordable back home. Winter frosts have brought about sweet, earthy, cream-colored parsnips that I adore, along with other winter roots like the bulbous, purple-green-skinned swede (known as rubatagas in America), both of which are making their debut at my penthouse kitchen.

In celebrating winter and the new year this month, I am excited to bring you a special Winter Series featuring ingredients I handpicked in England. Up first is a hearty, inexpensive baked winter root mash topped with savory, buttery crumbs - a dreamy, flavorsome side for a Sunday Roast or the ultimate Turkey Dinner. Reserve the naturally sweet cooking liquid and use as a stock for Parsnip, Parsley and Leek Soup.

Sweet, earthy, and versatile: winter produce at its peak

I find hot English mustard (apparently committed to the English theme here) a marvellous remedy to round out the earthy, sweet, but otherwise monotonous flavors of the roots. All the better if you have got horseradish. The good news? This dish can be made a day ahead or frozen up to a month and finished in the oven just before serving - way to lighten up your load in the kitchen!

To prepare...

Swede roughly diced into 1-inch cubes

1 swede, peeled and diced
2 large or 5 small parsnips, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon English mustard, or horseradish
1/2 cup coarsely grated cheddar (optional)

For the buttery crumb topping:
A knob of butter
1 small onion, finely minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
A handful of thyme leaves, plus extra for scattering
1/3 cup coarsely grated parmesan

1. Cook the swede and parsnip chunks in boiling salted water, covered, until tender. Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid as stock for future use.

2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Mash swede and parsnip with butter, milk, and mustard, leaving chunks for texture if desired. Stir in cheddar if using. Spoon into a greased ovenproof baking dish.

 

3. Make the topping. Melt butter in a skillet and cook the onion until golden, 3-5 minutes. Tip in breadcrumbs and stir to crisp a little, removing from heat as soon as breadcrumbs begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme. Spoon the mixture casually over the mash and sprinkle in the parmesan.  

Note: Can be made ahead to this point and kept covered in the fridge for up to a day or frozen for up to a month.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy on top. Serve scattered with thyme.

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A perfect winter side for any holiday meal and roasts