Recipe from Top Chef Canada competitor Matthew Stowe, Product Development Chef at Cactus Club Cafe
Pear and Hazelnut soup
Poached pears, apple butter, oat and hazelnut crumble, apple wafers
Soup
4 pears, peeled, cut in half, core removed
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
1.5 cups milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 cups cream
1 cup hazelnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
1 vanilla bean split
Oat and Hazelnut Crumble
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup ground hazelnuts
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
Apple Butter
4 granny smith apples peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces
4 gala apples peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces
8 Macintosh apples peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 1/4 cup sugar
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean split and scrape
Apple Wafers
1 cup apple butter
4 egg whites
2 tbsp water
Pear Confit
3-4 pears, peeled, scooped with a medium sized melon baller, (24 balls for this recipe)
½ cup white wine
½ cup pear juice
2 tbsp honey
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped of seeds
Garnish
Small leaves of chervil, mint or edible flowers
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This soup is great for dessert on a crisp, cool fall evening. The hazelnut infused cream is offset perfectly by the slightly acidic pear puree. This is a fairly rich soup so serve it in small portions; you could even serve it in an espresso cup as a pre dessert without the garnishes. The combination of the silky smooth soup, the toothsome poached pears and the crunchy crumble is a perfect example of texture contrast. The soup can be served either hot or cold, whichever you wish!
For the Soup: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toss the pears in the sugar and place in the centre of a large piece of aluminum foil, pour the water over the pears and fold up the edges of the foil so no steam can escape. Place the foil package in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until the pears are very tender. Transfer the pears and any liquid remaining to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a ladle pass the pear puree through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
Combine the milk, honey, cream, vanilla bean scraped and hazelnuts in a large pot, place on medium heat and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discard the hazelnuts. Combine the pear puree and warm hazelnut milk in a blender and puree until well combined. Taste the soup and adjust the sweetness with more sugar if needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the oat crumble: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until it comes together and forms a ball. Remove the mixture from the bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until firm. Take the dough out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Using a box grater, grate the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spread the small pieces out evenly over the sheet. Place in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
To make the apple butter: Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot, place on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2.5-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be a deep golden brown and be like a thick applesauce consistency. If desired puree mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a plastic container or plastic squeeze bottle and reserve. There will be more apple butter than needed for this recipe; the leftover can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use. (great with yoghurt or oatmeal.)
For the apple wafers: combine the apple butter, water and egg whites in a blender and puree for 30 seconds, transfer mixture to a silicone lined baking sheet and spread mixture into a thin even layer. Place in a 160 degree oven for 1.5-2 hours until completely dry and crisp. Remove from the oven and while still warm, peel off the mixture from the silicone sheet and allow to cool on the counter. Break into desired pieces and store in an airtight container.
For the Confit: Combine the wine, vanilla bean with the seeds and the simple syrup to a saucepot. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium heat until the liquid reduces by 25 percent. Add the pear balls, reduce heat to low and poach pears until they are tender but can still hold their shape approx. 10 min. Remove from the heat and allow the pears to cool in the liquid. Store at room temperature until ready to serve.
To Serve: Heat soup in a saucepot on low heat. Divide pear confit among 4 bowls, spoon 2-3 small mounds of the crumble around each bowl, squeeze 3-4 pools of the apple butter in each bowl, garnish with apple wafers and small herb leaves or flowers. Pour 3-4 oz. of the warm soup at the table or more if desired. Serves 4
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