Pear Salad

Pear salad is an old-fashioned, but much loved, composed salad recognizable across a large portion of the South. Traditionally, it comprises canned pears topped with a dollop of mayonnaise, some grated cheddar cheese, and a maraschino cherry. We’ve updated it to a more modern version by poaching and slicing plump D’Anjou pears, drizzling them with a smooth sauce, and then garnishing with a French cheese and chopped Luxardo cherries. While updated for sure, the flavors of the original remain. We hope you enjoy our adaptation of this classic dish!

Ingredients

1          cup      granulated sugar        

4          cups     water  

2                      D'Anjou pears, peeled, halved, and cored     

1          cup      Lillet Blanc    

2 thyme sprigs  

1/4      teaspoon          Morton kosher salt     

3          tablespoons     mayonnaise    

2 tablespoons     mascarpone cheese    

1/4      cup      buttermilk      

1/4      teaspoon          fluer de sel, plus more for sprinkling 

1/4      cup      mimolette cheese       

5                      Luxardo maraschino cherries, chopped

Method

1. Warm the sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.           

2. Add the pears, Lillet Blanc, thyme sprigs, and kosher salt to the sugar water. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pears are tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid, drain on a paper towel, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

4. Mix the mayonnaise, mascarpone, buttermilk, and fleur de sel together until fully incorporated.

5. Slice the cold pears into 1/4 inch pieces and place onto a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with the mayonnaise sauce. Scatter the cheese over the sauced pears, top with the cherries, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Notes For Pear Salad

• Lillet Blanc is a sweeter aperitif wine that can be found at most wine shops.

• The mimolette is a wonderful French cheese with a texture that is firmer than cheddar and milkier in flavor. We sourced it from our local H-E-B store. Check the artisan cheese case, and if you can’t find it, a good quality cheddar would be a perfectly fine substitute.

• The Luxardo cocktail cherries are an Italian brand that we highly recommend. You will never eat another one of those bright red, candied cherries again after tasting these. They can be found in most liquor stores, or you can order a jar from Amazon.