Any type of pear can be used in this recipe, as long as it is firm.
Red D-Anjou pears are confirmed to be good.
Note, this is delicious fresh.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar (4 3/4 ounces)
3 ripe but firm pears , halved, seeds removed with a large melon baller
and 1/4 inch trimmed off the bottom of each pear half so it will
stand upright
2/3 cups heavy cream
table salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns , roughly crushed
3 ounces blue cheese (strong such as Stilton),
cut into 6 attractive wedges
some mint
1. Place the water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and pour the sugar into the center of the pan, taking care not to let the crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling wildly. Add the pears to the skillet, cut-side down, cover, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until the pears are nearly tender (a paring knife inserted into the center of the pears feels slight resistance). On first try, it was about 10 minutes.
2. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is golden brown and the cut sides of the pears are partly caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the heavy cream around the pears and cook, shaking the pan back and forth, until the sauce is a smooth, deep caramel color and the cut sides of the pears are beautifully golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stay closer to 3 minutes, perhaps less unless you want the sauce to *really* turn into hard sticky caramel!
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully remove the pears from the pan and place cut-side up on a wire rack set over a trimmed baking sheet. Cool slightly. Season the sauce left in the pan with salt to taste and the crushed black pepper, then pour it into a liquid measuring cup. If the sauce becomes too thick, just loosen it up with another splash or two of cream while the sauce is still warm.
4. Carefully (the pears will still be hot) stand each pear half upright on an individual plate and arrange a wedge of the blue sheese beside it. Drizzle the plate and some of the pear with the caramel sauce. Serve immediately. (Alternatively, the pears can be stood upright on a large serving platter, and the warm caramel sauce and the blue cheese can be passed separately.)