Roasted Pears with Camembert

Juicy pears are roasted until tender and caramelized, then paired with creamy, melty Camembert cheese. Cider, honey, shallots and raisins are joined to create a beautiful relish to finish this recipe. This dish is a perfect blend of sweet and savory, ideal as an appetizer or dessert.

PREP TIME: 15 min

COOK TIME: 40 min

Photography by Grant L. Gursky

Chestnut Relish Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened pear or apple cider
1/4 cup honey
1 large shallot, minced
1/3 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup roasted chestnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of cinnamon

Roasted Pear Ingredients
3 large, ripe USA Pears
6 slices Camembert cheese
4 cups baby arugula leaves
EVOO

Directions
For the Relish: Bring the cider, honey, shallot, and raisins to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chestnuts, vinegar, rosemary and salt. Cool the relish to room temperature before serving, or cover and refrigerate up to one week.

To Roast the Pears: Preheat the oven to 375˚. Halve and core the pears and place them in a baking dish. Rub them with just enough olive oil to lightly coat, and sprinkle all over with salt. Position the pears cut sides down and roast about 30 minutes.

Turn them over and continue roasting until tender, 5-10 minutes more.
Lay a slice of Camembert on top of each and continue roasting just to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.

To Serve: Toss the arugula with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and divide it among six salad plates. Place a warm pear half over each and top with a spoonful of the chestnut relish. Serve immediately.