- 1 cup Sauternes wine
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ red jalapeno chile, halved
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground star anise
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 2 Anjou pears, peeled
- 4½-inch-thick slices grade A foie gras (about 4 ounces each)
- Fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- For The Sauternes Jelly:
- Place the Sauternes wine in a heavy small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Whisk over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain the wine mixture into a miniature loaf pan so that the mixture is about 1 inch deep. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is softly set, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- For The Roasted Pears And Syrup:
- Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into a heavy medium saucepan; add the bean. Add the water, sugar, chile, star anise, and cinnamon. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until a skewer pierces the pears easily, turning the pears occasionally, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a medium bowl. Cool the pears and poaching syrup separately. Strain the cooled poaching syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and into a small bowl. Cut the pears lengthwise in half. Using a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from the pears.
- To Finish And Serve:
- Sprinkle the foie gras with fleur de sel and pepper. Preheat the grill to high heat. Add the foie gras and cook until deep golden brown markings appear, pressing with a spatula, about 1 minute per side. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the center of the foie gras is warm, about 2 minutes longer per side. Transfer the foie gras to paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the pears and cook until the pears are heated through and begin to brown, about 2 minutes per side.
- Cut the jelly crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place 1 foie gras slice in the center of each of 4 wide shallow bowls. Place 1 pear half alongside each foie gras. Place 1 jelly slice along the opposite side of the foie gras. Drizzle the chilled poaching syrup around the foie gras and serve immediately.