PAIRING THREE CHEFS WITH PEARS

Th ree mouthwatering pear dishes for your fall feast

“Th e awesomely primal fl avor and texture of duck too often gets lost in overly rich fl abby dishes. Here, the duck’s fat carries these barely cooked vegetables and the sugary musk of the pear is expressed raw and is a background note in a ketchup that’s served warm and bears no resemblance to Heinz.” —Jonathan Brooks

Indiana Duck Breast with Zucchini, Wild Mushrooms, Pears and Pine Nut–Pear Ketchup

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Jonathon Brooks, owner and executive chef, Milktooth

Serves 2

2 duck breasts, scored and seasoned liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pine Nut–Pear Ketchup

(Th is recipe makes extra ketchup.) 2 tablespoons coconut oil or bacon fat ½ sweet yellow onion, diced 1-inch piece ginger, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 pears, diced 3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced ⅓ cup light brown sugar ¼ cup vinegar 1 cup water ½ cup toasted pine nuts 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground red pepper ¼ teaspoon each: ground clove, curry powder, ground cumin 1 tablespoos kosher salt Leave out the duck breasts while you prepare the ketchup, and preheat oven to 350°.

On low heat, sauté the yellow onion and ginger in coconut oil for 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer over high heat. Exercise extreme caution if choosing to purée the ketchup at this point. Otherwise, reduce heat to low and continue cooking while you fi nish the dish.

To compose the dish:

1 medium zucchini, halved horizontally 1½ cups wild mushrooms, sliced thickly 1 small red onion, shaved thinly 1 pear, shaved thinly

Put the duck breasts skin side down in a cold pan over medium heat with no oil or butter, allow the skin to brown and the fat to render for 10–15 minutes, periodically carefully draining the excess fat into a container for another use. Put the pan in the oven with the duck still skin side down and cook for 11 minutes, basting the fl esh side once with the fat in the pan halfway through cooking. After cooking, fl ip the duck and rest it in the pan before slicing and while preparing the vegetables.

Sauté the zucchini and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon rendered duck fat briefl y, 4–5 minutes, just long enough to get some nice caramelization on the outside. Season with salt and pepper, slice to your liking, serve with the sliced duck and ketchup, garnish with shaved onion and pear.

Recipe created by Head Chef Dan Nichols, Quaff On! Bloomington Photography by April Schmid

Serves 10

5 heads baby iceberg lettuce ½ cup rehydrated dried cherries ½ cup chopped pecans

Vinaigrette

1 cup apple cider vinegar ⅔ cup buttermilk 1⅔ cups mayonnaise 2 cups sour cream 4 tablespoons minced onion 4 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1 tablespoon fi nely chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fi nely chopped fresh thyme ½ pound smoked bleu cheese, fi nely crumbled

Chai tea poached pears

5 pears 2 quarts water 4 tablespoons chai tea Peel, halve, core and remove stems from pears. Bring water to boil and add chai tea. Steep tea for 5 minutes. Strain liquid and poach pears in liquid for about 30 minutes, until pears are soft.

Candied bacon

½ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ½ cup hot water 1 pound bacon Preheat over to 350°. Mix sugar, vinegar and water. Lay out bacon on sheet pan and cook in oven until almost done. Brush sugar mixture liberally on both sides of bacon and fi nish cooking in oven for 5 minutes. Cut lettuce into quarters and lay 2 wedges on each plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top salad with cherries, pecans, candied bacon and poached pears.

Combine all ingredients except bleu cheese and whisk until well combined and smooth. Stir in bleu cheese.

Cinnamon Crème Brûlée with Quaff On! Haretrigger Red Pear and Cherry Compote

Recipe created by Sous-Chef Christen Angermeier, Quaff On! Bloomington, Photography by April Schmid

Serves 10

For the creme brûlée:

6 cups heavy whipping cream 2 cups whole milk ½ teaspoon salt 3 cinnamon sticks 3 tablespoons cinnamon powder 1 cup sugar ½ cup honey 18 egg yolks

For the compote:

5 red pears peeled, cored and stem removed 4 ounces dried cherries 1 cup Quaff On! Hare Trigger IPA (or other

IPA or pale ale) 3 tablespoons sugar

Bring cream, milk, salt and cinnamon sticks to a light boil. Turn off heat and steep for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain mixture through chinois or strainer with cheesecloth, reserving liquid. Return liquid to sauce pan and whisk in cinnamon powder, ½ cup sugar and honey.

Bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Whisk while warming and strain mixture through chinois or strainer with cheesecloth, reserving liquid. Whisk egg yolks with ½ cup sugar until well combined.

Slowly whisk cream mixture into egg yolks, ladle by ladle, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next, until fully combined and consistent.

Fill ramekins to top with crème brûlée. Bake in water bath at 300° for 30 minutes, until set in middle but not overcooked.

While crème brûlée is baking, prepare the compote. Dice pears while bringing beer, sugar and cherries to a simmer. Add pears to liquid and simmer until fruit is cooked. Add liquid and/or sugar if more sweetness or liquid is needed. Serve with crème brûlée.