Roasted Pears with 5-Spice Zabaglione
Zabaglione:
- 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup Marsala
- 1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 ripe Bosc pears
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions:
The result is both sensuous and exotic.
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, 5-spice powder, and salt together in a medium metal bowl until smooth. Set the bowl over low heat and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, foamy, and pale yellow in color, about 10 minutes. If there is the slightest hint that the eggs are cooking rather than just foaming, remove from the heat and keep beating. If you’re uncomfortable setting the bowl directly over the heat source, place it over a pot of simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Remove from the heat and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least an hour. Then stir in the cream and chill again at least 15 minutes. While the zabaglione is chilling, you can roast the pears.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Peel the pears and cut them in half. Toss with the lemon juice and sugar.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces and place in the smallest baking pan you have that will hold the pears comfortably, but without touching. (Don’t put the pears in it yet.) Place the roasting pan in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes; don’t let it burn. Remove the pan from the oven. Roll the pears around in the pan until they’re evenly coated with butter (reserve any leftover lemon-sugar mixture). Arrange them cut side down in the pan in a single layer without touching and sprinkle with any remaining lemon-sugar.
- Set the pan on the lowest rack in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip the pears and continue cooking until caramelized to a deep golden color, about another 20 minutes. Remove from the pan. Remove the cores as soon as the pears are cool enough to handle, but keep the cored pears warm.
- Place 2 pear halves on each plate. Spoon the zabaglione liberally over the pears and serve.