Georgia Magazine - December 2022 - 40

GEORGIA Cooks
For this recipe, make the roasted pear puree
ahead of time so you'll be ready to serve these
Bellinis when your brunch guests arrive.
ROASTED PEAR BELLINI
Recipe courtesy of Steve McDonagh, from his cocktail book
" The New Old Bar " (Agate Midway, 2012)
Roasted pear puree
2 pears
1 tablespoon honey
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange 2 pieces
of aluminum foil on a flat surface and place 1 pear in
the center of each. Drizzle both with the honey and
loosely wrap them in the foil, leaving the top open.
Place the pears in the top half of the oven and roast
until they are buttery soft, about 50-60 minutes. Remove
them from the oven and let them cool. Peel the
skin off and pull the flesh away from the core. Place
the peeled pears in a blender with any accumulated
juices and puree until smooth. Pour into a container
and refrigerate until ready to use. Store in the fridge
for up to 1 week. Optional: Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of
vodka to thin the mix and preserve. Yields 3/4 cup.
For the Bellinis
Roasted pear puree
1 (11-ounce) can pear nectar
1 (750-milliliter) bottle Champagne
Put 1 tablespoon of the roasted pear puree into
a Champagne flute and add pear nectar 1/4 way up
the glass. Top very slowly with Champagne, as this
may cause fizzing. Serve immediately. Serves
about 8.
On a recent trip to Germany, I fell in love with Kaiserschmarrn, a dish
that looks like what might happen if you flung a pancake into a ceiling fan.
The name roughly translates to " emperor's nonsense, " and it's a no-fuss
dish that can be easily customized. Here's a simple recipe that is perfect for
brunch and requires no ceiling fan. This dish is sometimes served during
brunch at the Old Mulehouse restaurant in Jasper.
KAISERSCHMARRN
Recipe courtesy of Hans Rueffert
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons rum
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Sliced almonds or pecan pieces
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Soak raisins in the rum. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly
whisk in milk and then flour, whisking out any lumps but not over-beating.
Let this mixture sit.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly fold the
beaten egg whites into the egg-yolk mixture and add the pinches of salt
and sugar.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter. When the butter is hot, pour or
A Roasted Pear Bellini is a great alternative to the
traditional brunch mimosa, which combines orange
juice and Champagne.
40 Georgia Magazine December 2022
ladle enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. As the bottom begins
to brown and the pancake begins to take shape, flip the pancake. Cook on
other side. Right when the pancake finishes, turn the heat to low and tear
the pancake up inside the skillet using two forks or the edge of a spatula.
Add the rum-soaked raisins and nuts to the toasty pieces, then transfer the
mutilated pancake to a plate, top it with a dusting of confectioners' sugar
and serve. Serves 2-4.
Rueffert's variations: For something savory and sweet, try adding
some crumbled, cooked bacon or cubed ham when the raisins and nuts are
added.
COURTESY STEVE MCDONAGH
HANS RUEFFERT
Georgia Magazine - December 2022

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