Name: Chocolate-Covered Poached Pears with Apricot-Pecan Stuffing and Chile Sabayon
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 bottle full-bodied red wine such as Zinfandel; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 3-inch stick canela (see Tips, below); 1 teaspoon anise seeds; 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest; 6 whole Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and hollowed (see Tips, below); Parchment paper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine; 1/2 cup pecans, chopped; 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped; 1 tablespoon light brown sugar; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine; 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped; 4 large egg yolks; 3/4 cup dry white wine; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1/8 teaspoon chile powder; 2 pints fresh raspberries; Six mint sprigs

(Peras Rellenas para Passover)

Tips:

•To core and hollow out the pears, start from the bottom: Cut out a small amount with a paring knife, then continue digging upward with an espresso spoon or melon baller until all of the core is removed.
•Canela, also called true, Mexican, Ceylon, or Sri Lanka cinnamon, is a less pungent variety than the cassia cinnamon commonly used in the U.S.. It's available at www.adrianascaravan.com.
•Santibañez recommends unsulfered, natural apricots for the stuffing and Valrhona semisweet (56 percent) chocolate for the sauce.
•If you're serving the pears at a seder, look for kosher-for-Passover brown sugar, which does not contain cornstarch.

Recipe notes

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