Diced, Spiced Pears (Poire Epicées en Dés)

DICED, SPICED PEARS / POIRES EPICEES EN DES

Serve this as a “vegetable” alongside poultry, lamb, or beef—it’s delicious. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness and variety of the pear.

1 tbsp clarified butter

1 tsp grapeseed oil

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

Pinch hot paprika

3 medium-sized, slightly under-ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/3-inch cubes (large dice)

Fleur de sel

1. In a small bowl mix together the spices.

2. Heat butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add pears and cook, stirring constantly until they are golden and almost tender, about 6 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the pears with the spice mixture and stir until they are well seasoned. Add fleur de sel, remove from heat and transfer from the skillet to a plate. Reserve.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Susan Herrmann Loomis teaches cooking classes in Normandy and Paris. Visit her website. The latest of her ten books, Nuts in the Kitchen, has recently been published by HarperCollins. Find it in the France Today Bookstore. For more food stories and French recipes, go here.

Originally published in the November 2010 issue of France Today.