Poached Pears With Spiced Caramel Sauce

Serves: 2

Graciela O'Reilly

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

54

Spice

50

Sweetness

51

Sourness

39

mins

Prep time (avg)

3.5

Difficulty

Ingredients:

8 cups

Water

1.5 cups

Heavy Cream

1 tsp

Fennel Seed

Directions:

1

Poach pears: Remove zest of oranges in strips with a vegetable peeler and cut away any white pith from strips

2

Squeeze juice from oranges and lemon into a 6-quart pot and add lemon halves, water, granulated sugar, and zest

3

Peel pears, leaving stems attached, and add to pot

4

Simmer pears 15 to 25 minutes, or until just tender, and cool in liquid

5

(Poached pears will continue to cook a bit as they cool

6

) Remove zest of oranges in strips with a vegetable peeler and cut away any white pith from strips

7

Squeeze juice from oranges and lemon into a 6-quart pot and add lemon halves, water, granulated sugar, and zest

8

Peel pears, leaving stems attached, and add to pot

9

Simmer pears 15 to 25 minutes, or until just tender, and cool in liquid

10

(Poached pears will continue to cook a bit as they cool

11

) Make caramel: Put granulated sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over

12

Melt sugars, undisturbed, over moderate heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted

13

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until a deep golden caramel

14

Carefully pour in cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly) and stir in clove, cardamom pods, fennel, peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks

15

Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1‚ cups, about 10 minutes

16

Pour sauce through a sieve into a 2-cup measure and cool to just warm

17

Put granulated sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over

18

Melt sugars, undisturbed, over moderate heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted

19

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until a deep golden caramel

20

Carefully pour in cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly) and stir in clove, cardamom pods, fennel, peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks

21

Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1‚ cups, about 10 minutes

22

Pour sauce through a sieve into a 2-cup measure and cool to just warm

23

Assemble dessert: Drain pears and pat dry, then transfer to plates

24

Serve drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts

25

Drain pears and pat dry, then transfer to plates

26

Serve drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts