The Golden Warden Recipe is a crafting recipe that can be used to create a powerful healing potion. This recipe is said to be passed down from the ancient warden elves, and is said to be incredibly effective at restoring health and vigor.
Warden is the old name for the small hard cooking pear that used to grow inmany country gardens.
The best way to cook them was slowly with honey andfruit juice to warm and round out their thin colour and flavour, but thisrecipe works well for dessert pears too.
Choose a casserole or baking dish with just enough room to lay pears headto tail insingle layer.
Peel the pears thinly, leaving the stalks on,then immediately roll each one in a saucer containing the juice of thelemon.
Put the pears into the dish.
Spoon on scant 4 tablespoons honeyand add any lemon juice remaining in the saucer.
Bring the grape juice tosimmering point and pour it over the pears.
Cover the dish and bake at325-350 F (160-180 C) gas mark 3-4 until the fruit is beautifully tender.
How long this will take varies enormously - 1 hour is enough for semi-ripedessert pears; 3 hours or more may be needed for pears so hard that theyseem to be carved from wood.
Baste the pears frequently as they bake andturn them occasionally to encourage even cooking.
When the pears are ready, transfer them to a serving dish, standingthem upright.
Boil the cooking liquid until it turns syrupy and is reducedby about half.
Stir in an extra tablespoon or two of honey if you think alittle more sweetness is desirable but avoid the temptation to make thejuices too sweet; the appeal of the dish lies in its fruitiness.
Spoon thesyrupy glaze over the pears.
Serve warm or cold.
Source: Philippa Davenport in Country Living (British), May 1987.
Typedfor you by Karen Mintzias .