I was looking for an appetizer that featured the best of fresh fall ingredients, and came across this recipe in the October 2016 issue of Victoria Magazine. I was serving the pears as finger food, so dispensed with the balsamic vinegar glaze as I reasoned that it would be too messy. It was scrumptious without the glaze.

I think the deconstructed ingredients would be delicious served on a bed of arugula as a starter salad, using the pear-preparation liquid as additional dressing for the arugula. I’ll try that next time.

Toss the pears in the liquid

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Pears with Blue Cheese and Pecans

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A gorgeous appetizer that showcases the best of fresh, fall ingredients. Deconstructed, it makes a wonderful salad on top of additional arugula and tossed with some of the pear liquid mixture.

• Total Time: 20
• Yield: 32 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 Bartlett or Comice pears
• 1 c baby arugula leaves (more if you’re making it as a salad)
• 32 pecan halves
• 8 oz Stilton or other blue cheese, cut into 1/2” chunks
• 8 slices of prosciutto cut into 1” wide strips, cut lengthwise
• 32 extra-long chives, blanched*
• 1/4 c balsamic glaze (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Cut each of the pears into 8 wedges, slicing the cores from the thin edge of each wedge. Add the wedges to the bowl, tossing gently.
3. Remove one pear wedge at a time from the liquid and assemble: wrap an arugula leaf around the middle of the wedge, add a chunk of blue cheese and a pecan and press down slightly. Wrap with a prosciutto strip and tie with a blanched chive. It’s a bit finicky, but not as bad as you’re probably imagining.
4. Serve, drizzled with balsamic glaze and garnished with additional blue cheese, pecans and celery leaves, if desired.

Notes

• * to blanch the chives, zap them in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or until tender enough to use as ties

• Author: Helen Kain
• Prep Time: 20

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