I love poached pears and I have been experimenting with them in puddings, but I can’t go past them just as they are with some double cream or ice cream.
Ingredients:
2 cups sparkling wine
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 pears, peeled with stems attached (if you want to get adventurous you can and use a melon baller to core them from underneath)
1 star anise
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon honey
Method:
In a large saucepan (big enough to hold 4 whole pears) combine the wine, water, cinnamon stick, star anise, vanilla bean and seeds, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium high heat and add the pears. Poach covered for about 30 minutes until they are tender but not mushy.
Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a serving plate and keep warm.
Sieve the cooking liquid and place 500ml back into the saucepan to make a syrup. Discard the rest. Return the liquid to a simmer, add the sugar and honey and reduce the mixture by 2/3 and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.
Server the pears drizzled with the syrup and accompanied by double cream or ice cream.
