Pescatarian Gluten Free Goat Cheese Pear Endive Boats
These elegant little bites prove that appetizers can be stunning without a single grain of gluten in sight. Each crisp endive leaf acts as a natural vessel, cradling creamy goat cheese, juicy pear slices, and those irresistible maple-candied walnuts that you will absolutely want to snack on straight from the parchment. The combination of tangy cheese, sweet fruit, and a final drizzle of honey hits every note — rich, bright, a little crunchy, and just barely savory from the fresh thyme and black pepper. Because every ingredient here is naturally gluten-free, there is no swapping or substituting required; the recipe just works as written. This is the kind of no-fuss entertaining dish that looks like you spent way more time on it than you did, which is always a win. Whether you are putting together a holiday spread or just want something impressive for a weeknight gathering, these boats come together quickly and disappear even faster.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the boats
- 2 heads belgian endive
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the candied walnuts
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
For serving
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the walnut halves and maple syrup, stirring to coat, and cook for 3–4 minutes, watching closely, until the syrup thickens and the walnuts are glossy and lightly toasted. Sprinkle with the fine salt, transfer to a piece of parchment paper, and spread into a single layer to cool completely, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Separate the endive leaves and select the 16–18 largest, most cup-shaped leaves for the boats. Arrange them in a single layer on a serving platter.
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