With all due respect to De Gaulle and his countrymen, I would happily forgo each and every one of France's 246 cheeses for 1 wedge of gorgonzola. For me, it is the king of cheeses, the queen of cheeses, the grand empress of cheeses. This dish is my way of paying respects to it, although I own I am perfectly happy to eat it all alone (both me and the cheese). If you want cheese at the end of a dinner party, then this is the way to do it. And while it's not an Italian recipe, it is entirely Italian in inspiration. For me it's Autumn in Milan cast in food.
Ingredients
- 2 pears (approximately 1 pound total weight) each cut into 1/8's unpeeled and uncored)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (regular, not extra-virgin)
- 3 tablespoons Marsala
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup walnut halves
- 1 pound ripe gorgeous Gorgonzola in perfect condition; it should never have seen the inside of your fridge
Directions
While you are cutting the pears, let the oil heat in a large frying pan/skillet.
Fry the pears for 3 minutes a side, and while they are frying whisk the Marsala and honey together in a cup.
When the pears have had their time, add the Marsala-honey mixture and let it bubble up around the pears, and then transfer them, all bronzed and syrupy, to a plate.
Add the walnuts to the dark juices left in the pan and stir-fry them for about a minute until they are themselves darkened in part and sticky all over. Remove them to the plate with the pears and add the Gorgonzola.
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