Roasted Turkey Breast with Gorgonzola, Baked Pears and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients

• 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 85g coarsely crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup (60g) dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup (60g) pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup (120ml) apple cider
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) chicken stock
• 1/3 cup (80g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup (60ml) good olive oil
• 250g baby arugula
• 1 large (500g) roasted turkey breast sliced
• Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
3. Gently toss the crumbled gorgonzola, dried cranberries and pecans together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
4. In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, chicken stock, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
5. Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula and turkey among 4 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
6. Pair with Molson Canadian 67 or other light beers. The subtle fruit tones of Molson Canadian 67 resonate beautifully with the pears and the light refreshing flavour cuts through the richness of the gorgonzola cheese.

Notes