Pear and Gorgonzola "Flatbread" Recipe
This delicious recipe may feature Pears and Gorgonzola but, it comes together with the sweet taste of honey and the peppery taste of Arugula.
I’m in love with this appetizer. Yum! My hubbie and I love entertaining and this is certainly the time of year to do it! As a result, I am always on a mission to make kick-ass (pardon my french) food for company. But, anyone who entertains will tell you that the biggest challenge is juggling the time that it takes to make great food and the time that it takes to do everything else that you need to do before company arrives! Ahhh, if only we could all have personal maids and personal chefs. But, like most things, it seems to come down to time and creativity. That’s why I am sharing this quick and simple-to-make appetizer recipe. Not only will guests think that you spent a lot of time on this gourmet treat, you will feel that you have completely upped your party ‘game.’ So, game on.
What Makes This Appetizer So Delicious?
The sliced pears and melted Gorgonzola are matched perfectly with the toasted pecans, peppery arugula and honey vinaigrette. These ingredients are in love. Absolutely Delicious. Together they marry their strong individual flavors together and achieve a beautifully balanced appetizer. This makes for an unforgettable ‘mouthful of wonderful!!’
The Puff Pastry Crust
This appetizer begins with a crust of golden brown. Flaky and light, puff pastry is the perfect foundation for this appetizer. Now, as a Professional Pastry Chef, you may think that I am crazy to to suggest using frozen puff pastry dough rather than making your own. The truth is… commercial puff pastry is a great product! It is so convenient to have on hand, in your freezer - ready to use whenever you want it. Here is an insider secret…even professionals recognize that making your own puff pastry is time consuming. Yep, I said it. That’s why most pastry chefs buy frozen puff pastry dough for their kitchens. Now you know! Making traditional puff pastry dough requires time, periods to rest, time for folding, space and patience. Frozen prepared dough yields awesome, consistent results AND it is virtually fool proof. Yes, you absolutely can make your own puff pastry but, you can also purchase puff pastry, save time and yield great results.
A Few Notes About The Toppings
Thinly sliced pears are baked with the crust. I used Bosc pears but you can select whatever variety of pear is ripe and available. Don’t forget , a ripe pear should have a slight “give” (softness) when gently squeezed. I prefer using Gorgonzola over Blue Cheese. It adds just a nice subtle difference in taste and I like giving the cheese the opportunity to melt in the final stage of baking. During this stage you can quickly toss the arugula in the simple honey vinaigrette, shake off the excess and set aside. Once out of the oven, top the crust with the arugula, add the toasted pecans and a drizzle of with just a little bit of honey.
Ingredients For Assembly:
Puff Pastry (found in the freezer section of your grocery store)
2 ripe pears thinly sliced (approximately 1/4 inch) and trimmed of the core (see picture below)
2 cups of Arugula greens, cleaned and trimmed of the stem
Honey for drizzling
1/2 cup toasted pecans (halved or chopped)
Dressing for the greens (see below)
Dressing To Toss the Greens:
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
Tip: Using a parchment lined sheet pan is always preferable in baking. It helps to bake your products more evenly and helps to prevent burning. A silpat also works great.
Directions:
Preheat a conventional over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thaw and unroll 1 box (2 packages) of puff pastry. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Leave the puff pastry the thickness it is coming from the packaging. There is no need to roll out dough any thinner.
Slice the ripe pears approximately 1/4 of an inch thick. Slice again length ways and remove core. (See the picture above)
Place the pears on the puff pastry.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the Gorgonzola cheese . Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. You want the puff pastry golden brown. While baking, move to step 7.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.
Add the arugula and gently toss. Shake off access vinaigrette and sprinkle greens on to the warm pear and puff dough.
Sprinkle on the toasted pecans.
Add a drizzle of honey and sprinkle on a finishing (coarse) sea salt.
Cut, serve, enjoy!
I prefer to leave my appetizer vegetarian but, you may enjoy adding a crumble of bacon to yours. Either way - perfection!
