Pears With Roquefort And Sauternes Syrup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
4 pears (see headnote)
2 teaspoons light olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
6 ounces Roquefort cheese (by weight)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Sauternes wine
Syrup
1/2 cup Sauternes wine
1/4 cup sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet. Toast the walnuts in the preheated oven, 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375\u00b0F.
Remove stems from pears. Slice in half and remove core and any fibers with a melon baller. Rub pears all over with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place each pear (2 halves) in an individual gratin dish.
Combine the cheese and walnuts. Pack this mixture into the cavity in each pear half. Add 1-2 tbsp Sauternes to each dish. Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and pears are soft.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine 1/2 c Sauternes with sugar. Bring to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear. Remove from heat and let cool while pears finish baking. Drizzle syrup over pears before serving.