For an elegant, light and impressive-looking dessert, try this recipe for poached pears. Since you can poach pears at any stage of ripeness, this is a great recipe for every season! Just make sure that you poach the pear for a few extra minutes if it is unripe. For a more decadent treat, try reducing the cooking liquid to a syrup and spooning it over the pear just before serving!
Poached Pear Recipe
Recipe courtesy of The Natural Gourmet
Makes: 2 servings
Time: About 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
3 to 4 whole cloves
1 pear (bosc works well)
2 cups apple juice
Directions
1. Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan. Add in the cloves and cinnamon stick. Get the cooking liquid up to a simmer.
2. Peel the pear (removing all brown spots!), leaving the stem on. Split the pear lengthwise, making sure one side gets the stem. Remove the seed core with a melon baller or a spoon, but a melon baller works much better!
3. Lower the pear halves, bottom side down, into the cooking liquid and adjust the heat so that it simmers gently. Cover.
4. Cook, turning the pears every 3 minutes or so, until soft and slightly tender, typically 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon how ripe the pear is.
5. Turn of the heat and remove the pear halves from the liquid.
6. Chill the poached pears in the fridge until ready to serve. Note: They will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so you can make this dessert ahead of time!
7. For the sauce, reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup and then spoon it over the poached peers before serving. Pictured below.
8. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and mint leaf, and enjoy with a fruit sorbet or vanilla ice cream!