Maggie Beer: fennel with goat’s curd; glazed pears with mascarpone

Wait until the scent of butter, sugar, lemon, verjuice and vanilla invades your kitchen.

Glazed pears with mascarpone. Picture: Mark Chew

I admit to an extravagant use of butter in this dessert, but just wait until that scent of butter, sugar, lemon, verjuice and vanilla invades your kitchen. The trick is to adjust the cooking time depending on the variety and ripeness of the pear you use (avoid overly ripe fruit). I find Beurre Bosc are the best for cooking.

Fennel, here in a warm salad, is such a versatile vegetable and Meyer lemons provide a counterpoint to its flavour.

FENNEL WITH GOAT’S CURD

40g unsalted butter

80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, fronds reserved

4 fresh bay leaves

1 Meyer lemon, cut into wedges

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

125ml (1/2 cup) verjuice

80g goat’s curd

Baby purple basil or freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in heavy-based frying pan until nut-brown; add a splash of olive oil; gently seal fennel quarters on cut sides. Add fennel fronds, bay leaves and lemon; season with salt and pepper. Add verjuice and remaining olive oil; cover, simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove lid, increase heat to high and cook another 5 minutes, or until fennel is coloured and pan juices are reduced to a syrup.

Remove fennel, season to taste and serve as a warm salad, topped with spoonfuls of goat’s curd and herbs.

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a light meal

GLAZED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways

200g unsalted butter, chopped

150g caster sugar

Rind of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons verjuice

4 medium-sized pears, peeled

(leave stalks intact)

Mascarpone

Finely chopped rind and juice

of 1 lemon

160g mascarpone

Scrape out vanilla seeds from pod; set aside. Melt butter in heavybased frying pan over low heat; add sugar, lemon juice and verjuice.

When sugar has dissolved add peeled pears, lemon rind, vanilla bean and scraped seeds. Cook over low heat, uncovered, turning occasionally, for about 1 hour or until pears are an even golden colour. A thin-bladed knife or skewer inserted easily into centre indicates they are ready. The cooking liquid should be a light caramel colour. Gently fold lemon rind and juice into mascarpone; do not beat as the mascarpone will become too runny. Place a pear on each serving plate and pour over some caramel liquid. Serve a dollop of mascarpone next to the pear. Serves 4

Maggie Beer’s Autumn Harvest Recipes (Lantern, $29.99).