Hot and Spicy Roast Pears
Removing the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño peppers
will temper the heat but leave a nuanced bite that amplifies the curry
and nicely contasts the sweet and tart of the honey, butter and
lime.
4 jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons butter
1-tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons honey
4 firm Bosc pears
Juice of 3 limes, about 1/3 cup
Heat oven to 500°F, with rack in center.
Cut stem end off of jalapeño peppers. With a thin knife, cut around the inside of the peppers to free and remove seeds and membranes.
Melt butter in a small pan over low to medium heat. Stir in curry
powder and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Stir in honey
and turn off heat.
One by one, twist stems off of pears. Peel the pears and rub inside and
out with the lime juice. Starting from the bottom, scoop out the seeds
and fibrous membrane using a melon baller. Put a pepper, pointed end
up, inside each pear. Any pepper that sticks out should be firmly
crushed into the hole in the pear with your fingers.
Add remaining lime juice to ingredients in pan. Place pears upright so
that they do not touch in an 8x12” oven-proof glass baking dish.
Cut 4 squares of aluminum foil about 3” each. Make a cap for the
top of each pear crushing the foil slightly so that it stays in place.
Spoon pan liquid over pears.
Place pears in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Add ½ cup water to
pan and stir well to incorporate glaze. Spoon glaze over pears. Repeat
twice. If you are making more than 4 pears, you may not need to add
½ cups water each time. You don’t want scorching; but you
do want the glaze to coat. Carefully—it’s hot—remove
foil from pears. Roast 7 minutes longer. Remove pears from oven and
spoon glaze over all sides several times. Let rest 10 minutes before
serving. Pears may be halved top to bottom right through the peppers if
more or smaller portions are desired.
Makes 4 pears or 8 halves.
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