Spiced Red Wine Fruit Soup with Candied Orang

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

FRUITS
BOUQUET GARNI
TO FINISH
1.  Using a large sharp knife, trim off the top and bottom of the pineapple
and slice off the skin.  Using the tip of a vegetable peeler, remove the
eyes. Quarter the pineapple lengthwise and core it. Slice each quarter
crosswise 1/2" thick, then cut enough slices into bite-sized pieces to make
1 cup.  Reserve balance of the pineapple for another use. 2. In a large
saucepan of simmering water, scald the oranges for 5 seconds. Refresh under
cold running water; pat dry. Pick out the orange with the nicest skin.
Using a sharp knife, cut it crosswise into very thin slices; save any
juices.  Using a vegetable peeler, strip the zest from 3 of the remaining
oranges; cut it into very thin strips; set aside. 3. Juice the 3 zested
oranges. Add enough water to make 1 1/4 cups and pour into a medium
nonreactive saucepan.  Stir in the 1 1/4 cups suage and the orange slices
and their juices.  Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean with the tip of
a knife and set aside. Add the bean and star anise pod to the saucepan and
bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cover,
reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently until the white of the orange
slices begins to turn translucent and the syrup takes on a rich amber
color, about 1 hour.  Add a few tablespoons of water if the syrup thickens
too much before the slices are translucent. Strain the syrup and add enough
water to make 3/4 cup.  Reserve the orange slices; discard the star anise
and the vanilla bean. 4. While the orange slices are cooking, using a small
sharp knife, peel the remaining 4 oranges, removing all the bitter white
pith.  Working over a nonreactive bowl, cut in between the membranes to
release the orange sections. Squeeze the membranes to extract all the
juice.  Add the cut pineapple and orange liqueur. Set aside to macerate
until ready to assemble the soup. 5. Peel, halve and core the pears. Slice
them crosswise 1/3-inch thick. 6. In another medium nonreactive saucepan,
boil the red wine over high heat until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 12
minutes.  Stir in the reserved orange syrup and orange zest and the bouquet
garni (tie all ingredients in the listing for the bouquet garnet in
cheesecloth before using). Bring to a simmer over moderately low heat. Add
the pears and poach until wine-colored and tender when pierced with a
knife, about 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfers the pears to a
plate to cool. 7. If desired, add another teaspoon or so of sugar to the
wine mixture. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and whisk
into wine. Return to a boil over high heat; boil for 1 minute to thicken.
Pour the soup into another nonreactive container; let cool slightly; then
cool completely in refrigerator. Squeeze the bouquet garni gently; discard.
8.  In a food processor, puree the reserved candied orange slices and
vanilla bean seeds.  Add the creme fraiche and blend. Thin with the heavy
cream to a semi-liquid consistency. 9. To assemble the soup: Place the
poached pear slices in chilled shallow bowls or rimmed soup plates. Scatter
the orange sections and pineapple pieces evenly on top. Ladle 1/4-cup of
the soup over each serving. Place a dollop of the creme fraiche mixture in
the center of each bowl and garnish with a mint leaf. Makes 6-8 servings.
NOTE:  If you buy organic oranges or tangerines, you don't need to follow
the scalding procedure in Step 2.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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