Food

Well, this week's tip is going to be with pears.

There are so many pears available right now. The Bosc pear, the D'Anjou pear, the Bartlett pear, but one of my favorites is the red Bartlett pear. There's also the Comice, but I like the red Bartlett better because the red is so bright, these red Bartletts.

What's great about these is that mixed in a beautiful pear salad, the color of the red skin gives it the color, and it gives it the flavor, and the texture. Let's talk about selection and storage on red Bartletts.

When you buy them, the redder the better all the way around, skin nice and tight all around; that is so important. Heavy for their size and the stem has to be attached on all the pears you buy. If the stem is not attached, forget it; it's going to be brown inside there.

When you bring them home, unlike other variety pears, you want to store the Bartlett pear on the counter; this is what you have to do. Look at them carefully. As a matter of fact, babysit them.

In about 2 or 3 days after you buy them, they should have a nice give to the feel, a nice give, not too much of a give; just a nice give to the feel. Then they should have a nice aroma and then just bite into it; it'll be perfect right then and there.

Red Bartlett pears! What's good about their texture inside, the structure holds up to baking, so they bake up great like a Bosc pear. The red Bartletts make a beautiful pear salad you'll enjoy; it's pear time.

Duck Breast with Oven-Roasted Pear Sauce
Roasting pears brings out marvelous flavor. You should look for fruit that is barely ripe and still quite firm.

Serves 4

2 Bartlett or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and halved
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt
Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 boneless duck breast (2 halves,) about 30 ounces with skin.
1/2 teaspoon aromatic pepper (see tip)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup pear brandy or a richly flavored chardonnay
2/3 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons Chicken Stock

1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Cut pear halves crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine cinnamon, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl. Add pear slices and toss well. Spray an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Add pear slices and spray with cooking spray. Cook in the oven 20 minutes, turning once, or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, remove skin from duck, reserving half of the skin. Cut breast halves into 4 equal pieces total, about 4 to 5 ounces for each piece. Put breast pieces between sheets of foil, butcher paper, or plastic wrap; pound with a meat pounder or the side of a cleaver to half of their original thickness. Season both sides with salt and aromatic pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet over high heat until a drop of water instantly evaporates on its surface. Add duck skin and lower heat to medium low. Cook, covered, 5 minutes. Discard skin, pour off all but a thin haze of duck fat and put pan over medium-high heat. When pan smokes add duck breast pieces. Cook 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove and keep warm.

4. Add shallots to the same skillet and lower heat to medium. Cook until shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear brandy and stir a minute. Add pears, Chicken Stock, and arrowroot mixture. Cook a few minutes, until sauce thickens slightly.

5. Cut each duck breast piece into 5 to 6 slices on the diagonal. Fan slices on 4 plates, and put pear sauce on the side.

Cooking Tip
Aromatic pepper is equal amounts of fresh ground allspice berries and black peppercorns.