This one is a delicate beauty. Pear, as it is, is a subtle fruit that imbibes the flavour of cinnamon, the fire of Sichuan pepper and the sweetness of the orange ponzu dressing to make a refreshing appetiser. To make the platter complete is the sharp arugula smoothened by orange cream cheese. In short, here is a toast to packed flavours.
Poached peppers carpaccio
100 gms pears
500 ml water
2 gms cinnamon
1 gm bay leaf
1 gm Sichuan pepper
20 gms sugar
2 gms pine nuts
20 gms arugula
10 gms cream cheese
100 ml orange juice
2 gms yellow pepper
2 ml yuzu juice
2 gms red pepper
1 orchid
Method
Boil together water, cinnamon, bay leaf, Sichuan pepper and sugar for about 10 minutes and take it off the gas stove. Put the unpeeled pears into the liquid, dipping them completely into it for about 12 hours. Cool it overnight.
For orange ponzu dressing, reduce 100 ml of orange juice to 10 ml and mix it with yuzu juice, making the ponzu sauce and cook for two minutes. Take it off the stove and cool it. Slice the poached pear with skin into 12 slices without seeds. Mix cream cheese with one-fourth of orange ponzu dressing and make a quenelle. Mix arugula with pine nuts and pound it with a hammer. Place the slices of pears on a plate, arrange arugula on one side and pour the orange ponzu dressing on pears and arugula. Place the cream cheese quenelle on top of the arugula and garnish with pepper juliennes. Place an orchid and serve chilled.
