Last week I made a Pear and Vanilla Aigre-Doux. This is part II…a great way to complement the end of a fabulous meal, to enjoy as a savory dessert, or simply devour as is!
Whichever way you decide, one of the best ways to serve homemade preserves is as a condiment with cheese. Here the vanilla and pear complement the intrinsic sweetness of a blue cheese, whilst wine and vinegar stand up to the cheese’s signature tang.
(Original recipe source from The Preservation Kitchen Cookbook)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 hickory nuts (If hickory nuts are unavailable, use walnuts) For this recipe, however, I omitted the nuts simply because we are not personal fans at home.
- 1/2 cup Pear and Vanilla Aigre-Doux (Click here for recipe)
- 4 (1-ounce) pieces blue cheese
- Slices toasted sour dough bread or baguette
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the hickory nuts on a baking sheet and bake, checking the nuts often to make sure they don’t burn, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove the nuts and increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Strain the aigre-doux liquid into a small pot, reserving the pears. Reduce the liquid over medium heat until it reaches a syrupy consistency, coating the back of a spoon. Cool to room temperature. Slice the pears into bite-size chunks (optional), then stir them into the syrup.
- Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and bake, turning the pieces over halfway through, until evenly toasted, about 5 minutes.
To serve, divide the cheese among 4 plates. Spoon some aigre-doux on each plate and garnish with the hickory nuts and toast.
Grace Notes: I like to hand-tear the toasted bread and drizzle some aigre-doux syrup on top, as pictured.