A friend of mine home decorated her home with fall colors that featured a harvest of wooden tawny pears placed artfully about on table and mantel. Was that the reason I had it in my head to pair pears with chanties and bacon? Fortunately, my friend did not deck her halls with bacon. No, it was not the pears, but the porcine that drove my inspirations. Sea Breeze Farms at the U-District Farmers Market hung a jambon in its' tent. It caught my eye just after I had picked up a few chanties and a bag of pears. Both pears and chanterelles will rock with bacon, I thought, as I walked home to make this soup.
Asian pears with chanterelles and bacon
Serves 2
2 large Asian pears from Farmers Market, peeled and sliced in eigths
6 large-ish local chanterelles, coarse chopped
2-4 ounces of bacon (I used slab bacon from Sea Breeze Farm on Vashon Island cut into one-inch cubes)
2 cups stock (I combined 1 cup white wine with 1 cup water)
2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
6-8 sage leaves from Farmers Market
kosher salt and fresh-cracked black and white pepper
Parmigiano-Regianno cheese
Heat a large deep pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil. When oil starts to shimmer, add the bacon and cook to desired crispness. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel. Add the Asian pears. Saute the pears until each slice is browned on both sides. Add the mushrooms and toss together with the pears. Saute mixture for another two to three minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Add the stock. Add sage leaves. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Remove the pears and puree with food processor or blender. Pour the puree back into the soup. Use a whisk to incorporate the puree into the soup. (If you prefer a smoother texture, you may want to strain the puree first before combining with the soup.) Serve the soup into two bowls. Add mushrooms and bacon to each bowl. Sprinkle with grated Parmagianno-Regianno. Eat with a crusty hunk of baguette.
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