Grilled Pears at Noma

During my time at Noma I was introduced to a variety of interesting techniques and ingredients. One of the desserts included a grilled pear and aerated pine parfait. I thought the method to achieving the grilled pear was really neat. You start with a conference pear. You then peel, halve and remove the core. Next you reshape the pear, and apply dill oil to the flat surface. Next comes the grilling. At Noma we used the "Green Egg" grills. Making sure the coals are piping hot we placed the cast iron grill directly on top of the coals. We then waited until the pears were completely blackened on the flat surface before removing them. Upon pick up we peeled off the chared surface leaving a perfectly caramelized grilled pear. We dressed the pear with a pear crudite garnished with oxidized pear juice, juniper, lemon thyme, verbena, bronz fennel, and flowers. The grilled pear was placed on the plate with oxidized pear sauce and the aerated pine parfat. A very simple looking plate with a lot of technique in the components. It was one of my favorite plates because it showed so much technique and provided the guest with a light and seasonal dessert. Below are pictures showcasing the method to the actual grilling of the pear, as well as the finished plate.