Poached Pears with Rice Pudding:
2 Bartlett or Bosc Pears, peeled, quartered and cored
2 cups Water
2 cups Riesling Wine
½ cup Sugar
¼ tsp. Salt
1 cup Long Grain Rice
2 ½ cups Whole Milk
2 ½ cups Half and Half
½ cup Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Paste
1 tsp. freshly ground Cardamom
1 cup toasted sliced Almonds
For the Pears:
Put the wine, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Set over medium heat and dissolve the sugar. Add the pears, lower the heat and cover with a round of parchment paper. Cook the pears until they are tender. Turn off heat and allow the pears to rest in the liquid. Before plating you may reduce the liquid to a syrup and drizzle this over the dessert.
You may use dried pears for this if you wish. Cut the liquid and sugar by half and cook the pears until they are just rehydrated.
For the Rice:
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large, heavy bottomed pot (at least 3 quarts). Stir in the salt and rice, cover and simmer over low heat until the water is completely absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Add the milk, half and half, cardamom, and sugar. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to maintain the simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat and continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to support a spoon, about 15 minutes more.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla paste. Cool and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Assembly:
Put some of the rice in the center of a plate. Slice the pears and arrange them on top of the rice (if using dried pears just put the dried half on top of the rice). Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.
Serves 4 with rice leftover.
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