Pears and Speck with Dried Fruit

Pears and speck with dried fruit is a tantalizing and easy-to-prepare appetizer that marries the sweetness of pears with the savoriness of speck and the crunchiness of dried fruit. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 2 ripe but firm pears
• 8 slices of speck
• 40 g of walnuts or other dried fruit of your choice (such as almonds or hazelnuts)
• Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Start by washing the pears, dry them and then cut them in half, remove the core and slice them into not too thick slices. Drizzle them with some lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
2. In a pan, lightly toast the dried fruit without adding any fats until golden and fragrant. Let them cool and then roughly chop them.
3. In a non-stick pan, cook the slices of speck until they become crispy, then set them aside on paper towels to remove excess fat.
4. Arrange the pear slices on a serving plate. On each pear slice, place a slice of crispy speck and sprinkle with the chopped dried fruit.
5. Dress these delicious towers with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a fresh grind of black pepper.
6. Serve immediately to best enjoy the contrast between the warm, crispy speck and the coolness of the pears.

Pears and speck with dried fruit is a dish that combines different flavors and textures in a very pleasing union for the palate.

Curiosity

Speck is a type of cured meat typical of northern Italy, particularly the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Its distinguishing feature is the smoky flavor and the spices with which it is flavored during curing, making it perfect to complement the sweetness of the pears. The combination of fruit and cured meats is very common in Italian cuisine, especially as an appetizer during festive meals or on special occasions.