poached pears in port wine served with chocolate chunks

By Chef Pierre Wolfe, Our Ohio chef

6 Bosc or Bartlett pears, perfectly shaped, blemish free with stem on
1 vanilla bean
1 dark chocolate tablet, unsweetened 70 percent cocoa butter, chunked into bite size pieces
1 – 750 ml bottle of Port wine (Ruby, LBV or Vintage)
1 lemon
1 pint Jeni’s salt caramel ice cream or Cassis sorbet

Slice a little off of bottom of pear to keep it upright in pan when poaching.

Gently peel pear from top to bottom in one motion. For presentation purposes, it is important to peel pear as smoothly as possible and to keep stem intact. Place in bowl with cold, lemon water to prevent pear from oxidizing.

Place pears in saucepan, leaving space between each. Place wine in saucepan (Port should come ½ way up side of pear). Slice vanilla bean in half and place in saucepan. Poach pears over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until pears are soft yet still firm when pricked with a paring knife.

Gently remove pears and reserve in a serving dish. Continue to reduce the wine until it coats the back of a serving spoon. Pour wine into dish with poached pears. Sprinkle pears with the chunked chocolate pieces. Serve immediately with ice cream.