Pears and Chocolate with Salted Caramel

To prepare the pears and chocolate with salted caramel, start with the accompanying mock ice cream: chop the chocolate 1. Then heat the cream in a saucepan until it almost reaches boiling point 2. As soon as it's very hot, pour the cream over the chocolate 3.

Stir with a spatula to melt and blend it properly 4. Add the mixture to the mascarpone and mix again 5. Then transfer everything to a container, cover with plastic wrap, and let it firm up in the refrigerator for at least an hour 6.

Meanwhile, take care of the popcorn. To make them, just pour the corn kernels into a saucepan 7, cover with the lid and raise the temperature to maximum 8, this way the corn will pop. Transfer the popcorn to a bowl, adjust the salt to your liking and set aside 9.

Then move on to the caramel to coat them. So, pour the sugar, butter, and honey into a steel saucepan 10, as soon as bubbles start to form, add the baking soda 11. Continue stirring constantly as the mixture starts to foam. A few moments later, turn off the heat and pour over the popcorn 12.

Mix thoroughly 13 and transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 14, space them well, and bake at 230°F for about 15 minutes. After baking, let them cool outside the oven 15.

Move on to the pears. After washing and drying them, cut them in half, remove the stem and core 16. In a pan, melt a small knob of salted butter and then place the pears inside 17. Cover with the lid and let them braise for 5 minutes 18.

Meanwhile, take care of the caramel. In a steel pan, pour water and sugar 19, without stirring, bring to a boil until it turns amber 20. Meanwhile, you can briefly mix the butter with the seeds of a vanilla pod 21.

At this point, the caramel should have the desired color, so turn off the heat and move away from the stove before adding the warm cream 22. Stir immediately and be very careful not to splash it on your hands because it is highly burning. As soon as it has been incorporated, also add the butter mixed with the seeds 23 and mix to obtain a viscous sauce 34.

You can proceed with plating. Retrieve the mock ice cream from the refrigerator and scoop out a ball with an ice cream scoop 25. On the serving plate, place a half-braised pear 26, next to the ice cream ball 27,

and as a garnish, the caramel drizzled from a spoon 28. Finish by adding the popcorn 29 and some dehydrated raspberries, edible flowers, and a pinch of flaky salt. Your pears and chocolate with salted caramel are ready 30!