sausage stuffed pears

It looks so innocent. And I suppose it is fairly simple to make, but it does taste a heck of a lot better than it looks. The pear looks like it is just sitting pretty, but it's my favourite part. Pork has just seeped in. Oh darn. This is another recipe I've used to entertain a crowd for a weekend brunch. I was inspired by this recipe a couple years ago, and been using it ever since. I use ground pork instead of breakfast sausage, as I found it just too annoying to take all the meat out of the casings... Sure, there are lots of ways to zip this up even more - some blue cheese, a red wine reduction, but this will please even the pickiest of eaters. It's totally perfect for Mother's Day. But why not for the holiday season as well? Not only does it separate the portions, by design, but does look a little extra elegant for the festive season. Sausage Stuffed Pears Serves 8-12 7 pears, preferably anjou 2 lbs ground pork 1 onion, diced 1 rib celery, diced 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1/2 tsp cayenne 3 tsp cinnamon 3 tsp paprika 1 tsp sage 1 tsp nutmeg 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. 2. Peel and dice one of the pears. In a non-stick sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the pear, onion and celery until translucent and very tender. Add the garlic and sauté briefly. Set the mixture aside and allow to cool. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork, eggs, milk, cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. 4. Wash the pears, and gently slice them in half lengthwise, attempting to save the stems if possible. Using a paring knife and a grapefruit spoon, gently scoop out the seeds and core, being careful to keep the bottom of the pear intact. 5. Add the sautéed mixture to the pork, and combine thorougly. 6. Scoop some of the pork mixture into the pears until it can't hold anymore filling. Seriously. 7. Place the pears on a parchment lined baking sheet or roasting pan, and bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 F, or about a half an hour. Serve immediately.