Chardonnay Poached Pear Tascido with Goat Cheese

6 fresh Anjou pears

1 bottle (750 ml) Chardonnay

3 cups sugar

4 cups water

4 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon slice

1 small bunch of rosemary

Goat cheese

Port wine sauce

4 cups port wine

2⅓

cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

In a large saucepan, combine chardonnay, sugar, water, cinnamon sticks and lemon slice. Bring chardonnay wine sauce to a boil. Peel the pears, but do not core. Place the pears in the saucepan with the wine sauce and cook slowly for about 35-50 minutes or until the pears become tender. Check the pears often, as they will begin to fall apart if they are overcooked.

In a large saucepan, cook the port wine, sugar and cinnamon stick over low heat for 10 minutes. Do not over cook, as the wine will become syrupy.

Pour the port wine syrup in the bottom of a loaf pan. Once the pears have cooked in the Chardonnay, remove and place standing upright in the pool of port wine syrup. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, remove pears from the port wine syrup and cut in half length-wise. Cut half of the pear ,into thin slices, making a fan. Place the other half of the pear behind the fan. Sprinkle goat cheese over the top of the pear and drizzle with the port wine syrup. The rest of the syrup may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The syrup is a nice topping for vanilla ice cream or panna cotta.

Serves six.

"American Classics: Casual to Elegant Desserts" by Alain Roby (2009 Hadley Media)