Here's a question a lot of women would like to know the answer to - What sort of pears does My Kitchen Rules co-star, chef Manu Fiedel like?
The cheeky chef was having plenty of fun playing with words at the launch of the 2010 Hilton Brisbane Masterclass Weekend (24 & 25 July) egged on by former 'Ready Steady Cook' colleagues Alastair McLeod and Matt Golinski.
The three were all at the Brisbane Hilton cooking lunch for an eager crowd ready to celebrate the launch of new Masterclass program.
Manu was the finale to the meal with a dessert, Poire Belle Helene, a classic French dish of poached pears with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
When it comes to choosing pears, Manu's tongue-in-cheek advice to the adoring women in the audience was "You need a good pear. Size doesn't matter as long as they are good and firm."
Manu says the chocolate sauce recipe can also be used as body paint. No one was game to ask more about that!
Will we be seeing more of the handsome Manu on the small screen. Not on 'Dancing with the Stars' according to the rumours but maybe, Manu says, there will be another series of 'Boy's Weekends'. Millions of women can only hope so!
Here's the recipe- it was delicious and I'll definitely be making this at home. Masterclass organiser and food guru Alison Alexander said you could use just about any type of pear but the cooking time would vary.
Poire Belle Helene
10 serves
10 Williams pears
500g castor sugar
2 vanilla pods
1kg vanilla ice cream
300ml chocolate sauce (recipe below)
400mls cream Chantilly
50g toasted flaked almonds
lemon water
1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans and add the pod to 2 1/2 litres of water and the sugar. Bring to the boil and then set aside.
2.Peel the pears and place in lemon water to prevent them turning black.
3. Poach the pears in the syrup for 20 minutes (test the pears with a small paring knife). Cool down the pears in the refrigerator and store them in the poaching syrup.
4. Core and remove seeds from the pears using a small teaspoon.
5. To serve in a glass, place a scoop of ice cream, then one pear and pour over some chocolate sauce. Next pipe some creme Chantilly and finish with some flaked almonds on top.
Chocolate sauce
300g dark courverture chocolate buttons
300mls poaching syrup from the pears
1. Place the chocolate buttons n a bowl and pour over the hot pear syrup. Whisk until the chocolate has dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
Masterclass bookings are now open at Ticketmaster. The full program is available online.
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