Saffron Pears with Walnut Tahini

It’s summer in the Mediterranean and the Quotidian Cooks are astonished. This morning our friend Julia came to visit us. Julia is our food systems expert (whatever that means), she has just arrived from London and brought us a gift: the recipe book of her favorite restaurant. Also in a bag she carries endives, arugula, two kilos of pears, one of walnuts and a little box of saffron threads. Everything organic. I ‘ve got some work for you, guys, she says. Can you prepare this recipe for me?

So here we are, aprons on, peeling pears and cracking walnuts under the watchful eye of our colleague. These saffron pears are a masterpiece of Mediterranean cuisine. As we work, we talk about how cooking is changing as interest in plant-based food grows.  Is it about eating less animal products? Or moving towards a healthier diet? Or trying to be coherent with a respectful vision of our wounded planet? Anyway, everyone has its reasons but it is clear that the debate is growing about the food we eat, where it comes from and what we put in the basket every time we go shopping.

While the pears are cooking, Julia tells us how food scene in the United States is changing. Years ago the proliferation of new vegetarian food businesses began: small producers, shops, restaurants and artisan products. Perhaps the most famous case is that of Follow your Heart in Los Angeles, which started as a small café and vegetarian store and launched the first vegan mayonnaise: Vegenaise. Nowadays things have changed and we are talking about the creation of companies dedicated exclusively to plant-based food.

We could go on and on, but we better go back to the pears. So much information has left us breathless. To alleviate our bewilderment Julia tells us that the key to success in all these projects lies in the culinary quality: the cooks’ touch.

Ah!, here we smile and continue with the recipe. The walnut tahini is a great idea, we replace the sesame with slightly roasted walnuts, extraordinary flavor. With the pears infused with saffron contrasting with the green leaves’ bitter flavors (arugula, endive) the dish is a vegetable and pan-Mediterranean experience. Refreshing, contemporary and classic at the same time. Nothing to envy … to nothing.

Saffron Pears with Walnut Tahini

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Adapted from S. Packer & I. Srulovich

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the pears
• 4 pears, peeled
• 100 gr sugar
• juice of 1 lemon plus its peel
• 5 cardamon pods
• 1 teaspoon of saffron threads
• ½ tsp of turmeric
• For the Walnut Tahini
• 120 gr toasted walnuts
• 1 garlic clove
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt & pepper, to taste
• pinch of sugar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• For the salad
• leaves of one head of endive, or other bitter green
• 100 gr arugula
• Juice of half lemon
• 3 tbs Olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3 tbs cooking liquid from the pears
• a pinch of chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Saffron infused Pears
2. Place all the ingredients for the poached pears in a small pan. Add 1 litre of water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let them cool entirely. Transfer to a bowl and let them infuse overnight in the fridge.
4. Walnut Tahini
5. Set aside a handful of walnuts for the final plating.
6. Put all the ingredients for the tahini in a food processor and blitz until they form a slightly chunky paste. Taste for seasoning and add a little water if you prefer a more runny consistency.
7. Assemble the dish
8. In a flat serving platter assemble the green leaves
9. Cut the pears in quarters, core and place on top of the salad leaves.
10. Dollop the walnut tahini over the pears and leaves.
11. Sprinkle the roasted walnuts over the salad.
12. Mix the cooking liquid, lemon, oil and salt and pepper and dress the salad adding some chili flakes (optional).

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