Poached Pear
Firm Bosc pears, poached whole in a spiced honey syrup with ginger, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon until just yielding. Served with crème fraîche, a dusting of cinnamon, and the reduced poaching liquid poured over. Elegant and effortless.
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4 firm Bosc pears -
4 cups water -
⅓ cup honey -
⅓ cup sugar -
4″ piece fresh ginger, sliced -
1 tsp whole cloves -
1 star anise -
1 cinnamon stick, broken -
crème fraîche and ground cinnamon — to serve
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Peel the pears and scoop out the cores from the base, keeping the stems intact.
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Add the water, honey, and sugar to a pan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Add the ginger, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick.
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Slip the pears into the liquid and reduce the heat. Once the pears are submerged, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the pears are fully tender — about 20–30 minutes.
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Remove the pears. Strain and reduce the leftover poaching liquid over higher heat until slightly syrupy. Pour over the pears.
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Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
