4 Bartlett Pears with stems, peeled but not cored
1 750ml Bottle of a white, fruity wine
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract or one vanilla bean, scraped and sliced
4 cups Lettuce (I like Baby Romaine)
5 Tbsp Spirits & Spice Red Apple Balsamic
5 Tbsp Spirits & Spice Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sliced almonds to garnish
In a sauce pan with high sides, pour in entire bottle of wine, the sugar and the vanilla (if using a whole vanilla bean, split it down the middle then scrape the interior of each side and place the scrapings and the vanilla bean slices in the wine). Bring to a simmer. Put in pears. Don't worry if the liquid doesn't completely cover the pears. Keep at a simmer -- just below a boil for 45 minutes. Remove the pears and put in the refrigerator to cool.
When ready to serve, make a bed of the Baby Romaine lettuce. Lay the pear on the Baby Romaine. Combine the Red Apple Balsamic and Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a food processor or blender. Drizzle the vinegar and oil mixture over the pears and lettuce liberally and garnish with sliced almonds. Serve with a knife and fork so your guests can cut their pear and eat with the lettuce.
Serves 4.