Port Wine Poached Pear Salad
with
Grilled Chicken, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Dark Sweet Cherries, Dried Sour Cherries and Glazed Pecans
Drizzled with Port Wine Champagne Vinaigrette
Elegant, satisfying and divinely delicious, this combination of greens and fruits by The Gourmet Goddess is definitely not, “Just A Salad.” That famous line from Seinfeld implies that a salad is a mere assemblage of green vegetation and hard tasteless vegetables that make you feel dutifully healthy for eating them, but oh, so dissatisfied. Even worse if you are a guy and order a salad, you may feel as though you are not a macho enough eater. If eating in a restaurant, it must be a special salad for The Gourmet Goddess to order, as she refuses to experience food envy for the other diner's meals at the table.
Knowing that it is important to eat your greens, however, has compelled The Gourmet Goddess to compose a salad that will thrill the taste buds. Besides the magnificent taste and filling ingredients, this salad has an additional perk. It is all prepared ahead, but not assembled and dressed till just before the guests arrive. It is Gourmet Goddess in preparation, but last minute assembly serves the purpose of The Goddess on the Go.
The pears are poached in a syrup composed of port wine, sugar, cinnamon and orange peel. Save the leftover pears to complement a nice vanilla bean ice cream later in the week for a magnificent dessert. The champagne dressing is mouthwatering with a dash of a vivacity from the Dijon mustard. This salad will delight gods and goddesses alike!
Happy Cooking!
And Remember
Always Stay in Touch
With
Your Inner Goddess!
Salad Ingredients
2 – 14.5 ounce cans Del Monte sliced pears, no sugar added
1 cup good quality Port Wine (not tawny)
¾ cup Granulated Sugar
the zest of 1 Navel Orange (no pith)
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
4 large Boneless Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil for Grilling
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 head of Butter Lettuce
1 Bag of Mixed Greens
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
1 can of Pitted Sweet Cherries in Natural Juice
¾ cup Dried Sweet Cherries
2 ounces of crumbled Goat Cheese
Serves 4
Champagne Vinaigrette Ingredients
½ cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Champagne Vinegar
¼ cup Port Wine Reduction
1 cloves of Garlic minced
¾ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
**Crusty French Bread and Butter as an Accompaniment**
Instructions
Prepare early in the day ..
Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill.
Wash greens, dry and chill.
Drain sweet cherries.
Poach pears, leaving plenty of time to chill.
Place port, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon in a medium sized pot.
Cook on low for 5 minutes stirring frequently until sugar melts.
Add pears and their juice.
Reduce syrup and poach pears uncovered on a very low for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove ¼ cup of the syrup for the salad dressing.
Port Wine Champagne Vinaigrette
Combine oil, champagne vinegar, port wine reduction, garlic, salt and pepper.
Add Dijon mustard and whisk vigorously. Chill.
Assembling the Salad
Strain Poached pears, but save reduction for ice cream or another batch of port wine champagne dressing.
Line exterior of 4 plated or bowls with butter lettuce.
Toss greens with salt and pepper and toss in sweet cherries and dried cherries
Place greens on top of butter greens.
Slice chicken.
Top greens with poached pear slices and chicken slices in any variation, you prefer.
Sprinkle with goat cheese.
Drizzle with dressing. Place additional dressing in a pitcher for those who will want extra.
Serve with a crusty French bread and good quality butter.
