Cardamom Pear Parfait

Use small, ripe yet firm pears and serve in wide-mouthed martini glasses to show off the layers. Cardamom adds aromatic flair to the custard. We recommend buying green pods. Crush them lightly and pick out the dark brown seeds. Crush the seeds using a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a heavy pan.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about -
cal 279
pro 4 g
total fat 9 g
sat. fat 5 g
carb 43 g
fibre 1 g
chol 98 mg
sodium 51 mg
% RDI: -
calcium 9%
iron 4%
vit A 12%
vit C 3%
folate 7%
    1-1/2 cups (375 mL) port
    1-1/2 cups (375 mL) water
    1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
    2 strips lemon rind
    1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
    1 cinnamon stick, halved
    9 cardamom seeds
    3 whole cloves
    4 small firm pears (1-1/4 lb/625 g total)
    1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
    Custard:
    1 egg
    2 egg yolks
    1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
    1/3 cup (75 mL) cornstarch
    1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed cardamom seeds
    2 cups (500 mL) milk

Preparation:

Custard:: In bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and cardamom. Set aside.

In heavy saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until bubbles form around edge; whisk half into egg mixture. Whisk back into milk in pan; cook, stirring, until boiling and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 7 minutes.

Strain milk mixture through fine sieve into bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

In Dutch oven, combine port, water, sugar, lemon rind and juice, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Bring to boil over medium heat; boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Peel and halve pears; using melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out cores. Add pears to pan; cover with round of parchment paper and lid. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate and let cool. Strain liquid through fine sieve into small saucepan; boil over high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup (125 mL), about 8 minutes. Let cool.

In bowl, whip cream. Slice pears and set 8 slices aside. For each serving, spoon about 1/4 cup (50 mL) custard into 3/4-cup (175 mL) martini glass. Top with sliced pear, 1 tbsp (15 mL) port syrup and 2 tbsp (25 mL) whipped cream. Garnish with reserved pear slice. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Additional Information

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