Bosc Pears en Croute with Prosciutto

I don't know if you would call his a salad or a tapa.  It is definitely not a dessert.  I have tried it both using puff pastry and using phyllo pastry.  I prefer the phyllo pastry.  It is lighter and more buttery.  In fact, did you know that unless you purchase a premium quality puff pastry, it doesn't even have butter in it!  With pears, I definitely want butter.  I like to serve this with watercress or micro greens.  I used a nice Morbier cheese for the filling.  Oh, also, I only used one slice of prosciutto per pear.  I think it depends upon how thinly they are cut.

BOSC PEARS EN CROUTE WITH SPECK & PECORINO TOSCANO

Ivan Beacco
Borgo Antico Ristorante
New York, NY

Makes 4 servings

Pears
4    Bosc pears, peeled and halved
Coarse sea salt
12    thin slices Speck Alto Adige or proscuitto
4    ounces soft Pecorino Toscano or soft mild sheep’s milk cheese
2-3    stems fresh tarragon
4    6-inch squares puff pastry, rolled thin
2    egg yolks, lightly beaten
4    whole cloves

Sauce and garnish
1    cup heavy cream
2    ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2    teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/2    cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned
watercress

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Remove pear cores, making a cavity about 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch deep. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet and lightly rub with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes until tender but still firm. A toothpick or tip of a sharp knife should have a little resistance when inserted. Cool.

Cut 4 pieces of cheese the size of the pear cavities. Press cheese into a ball and place in the cavity of four pears; enclose with a matching pear half. Place about 6 tarragon leaves on the outside of each pear. Wrap pears with slices of speck, covering as much of the pear as possible. Set pears in center of a pastry square; pull sides of pastry up, twisting pastry at the stem end of pears. Insert a clove to resemble pear stems if you were not able to keep the real stem when you were preparing it.

Set the pastry wrapped pears on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. If using puff pastry, brush with egg yolk.

If using phyllo pastry, brush each sheet with butter and stack 5 or 6 sheets and wrap the pears.

Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, simmer cream, Parmesan and pepper over medium heat until cream is reduced and slightly thickened. Keep warm.

To serve, place warm pears on serving plates. Cut vertically with a sharp knife (an electric knife works well), and arrange pear halves leaning against each other with the cheese pooling around them. Spoon pepper cream around pears and garnish with hazelnuts and watercress.