Laøri No.1 with bergamot served with pear and gorgonzola cheese

Recipe by Paul Bocuse, Food, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald

The first cookbook...

I got it in 1988, when I was 15. It was written by Paul Bocuse and called "My Masterpiece". Together with Heinz Winkler, he reinterprets "German" classics. For example, pea soup with lobster, baked potato with truffle, etc. . At that time I was very fascinated. It sounded like the wide world. At home, I grew up with down-to-earth home cooking. The cheese selection began and ended with young Gouda. Over the years, I've looked at the book every now and then. Nostalgia! Some of the dishes I still like to cook today, chicken in red wine or the potato soup. Or more precisely, the mashed potatoes thinned with meat stock, Bocuse in fact. Some of it seems a bit out of date today. Too heavy, not crazy enough. But in this case it's an advantage. Pear, blue cheese, salt and pepper, that's all this dish has to offer for now. Perfect for a drink with lots of flavours.

Laøri No.1 is a non-alcoholic "gin substitute" and extremely aromatic to boot. You immediately have the many botanicals in the nose and on the tongue, clear juniper notes, fresh citrus accents, cardamom and rosemary. As I've mentioned before, I'm not the biggest tonic fan. Especially in pairings, the strong bitter note is not always appropriate. Not only would the chinine be dominating, but also the strong carbonic acid would create a furry mouthfeel with the cream cheese sauce. The fresh and warmed rosemary in the drink and bergamot syrup as well as lime round off the drink. Top up with still or slightly carbonated water.

Whether it's a snack or a salty dessert, this drink turns a supposed oldschooler into a great non-alcoholic pairing.

The pear:

2 medium pears

Some lemon juice

1/4 L dry white wine

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 vanilla pod cut in half lengthwise

250 g puff pastry frozen

Butter

1 egg for coating

The filling:

40g blue cheese

15 white bread crumbs

2 walnuts, chopped

Pepper from the mill

Salt

The sauce:

150g cream cheese

Lemon juice

1/2 tsp sugar

Pepper from the mill

salt

80 whipped cream

For garnishing

Pistachio, chopped

Mint

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius.

Peel both pears, cut in half and remove the core. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Bring the white wine, sugar and vanilla to the boil. Poach the pears in it for 5-8 minutes. Mash the blue cheese with a fork and mix with white bread crumbs, walnuts and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pears and carefully pat dry. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface to a thickness of 3mm.

Make a template from a piece of paper, slightly larger than the pear half.

Place the template on the rolled out puff pastry and cut out the pastry.

Place the puff pastry pears on a buttered tray and brush with beaten egg.

Fill the prepared cheese cream into the pear halves and press down. Place the filling side down on the puff pastry and bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

For the sauce, mix all the ingredients until smooth and season to taste. Place the pears on top.

Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald

The drink:

5 CL Laøri No.1

2 CL Bergamot syrup

Dash lime

Ice

Rosemary sprig lightly toasted with a burner.

Water still or slightly carbonated.

Stir Laøri, syrup and lime over ice. Then strain into a glass filled with ice and top up with a little water. Lightly heat the rosemary sprig with a small Bunsen burner, add to the drink and garnish with a slice of lime.

Recipe, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald