Variation:
Poached Pears in Port Make a poaching syrup as directed above,
except omit the vanilla bean/cinnamon stick and substitute 6 whole
cloves and 6 whole black peppercorns. When pear halves are tender,
remove from skillet as above. Return skillet with poaching syrup
to high heat and bring to boil. Boil rapidly 3-4 minutes, until
slightly reduced and thickened. Remove from heat; add 1/2 to 3/4
cup ruby port to syrup and stir in. Pour over pears. Cool slightly,
then chill until needed, basting pears with syrup occasionally.
This syrup tastes wonderful, and it's a natural with vanilla ice
cream.
For Sauce:
In medium heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and salt.
Heat cream over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very hot.
Remove from heat; add about 2/3 of hot cream to chocolate and
let stand 2 minutes. Stir or whisk gently until smooth. (If necessary,
place mixture over simmering water on low heat--water should not
touch bottom of bowl--and stir frequently until smooth.) In three
additions, add remaining cream to chocolate mixture. Cool briefly,
then chill until needed.
About 1-1/2 cups
sauce
For Pears:
Wash and dry fruit; set aside. In 10" diameter heavy-bottomed
skillet, combine water, sugar, and lemon peel. Over high heat,
stir often until sugar is completely dissolved. Add vanilla bean
or cinnamon stick; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover skillet;
simmer this poaching syrup for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and
set aside. Peel pears. Cut in half vertically. Remove core, stem,
and any blemishes. Place pear halves in skillet, cut side down,
with narrow end facing away from center. Pear halves should touch
as little as possible. Return skillet to medium-high heat. When
syrup begins to simmer, reduce heat and cover skillet. Simmer
pears, adjusting heat as necessary, just until tender (this will
depend upon type, size, and ripeness; I have had poaching times
range from 10 to 20 minutes). Begin testing pears after 5-8 minutes
of simmering by piercing in thickest part with toothpick or cake
tester. When pears are done, tester will go all the way through
them, meeting little resistance. Try not to test more than necessary,
as testing leaves holes. Do not overcook, or pears will be mushy.
When pears test done, remove skillet from heat. With slotted turner,
carefully remove pear halves from skillet; place in heatproof,
nonreactive casserole or container just large enough to hold them
in a single layer (I use a porcelain souffle dish). Pour hot syrup
over pears. Cool until warm, basting tops of pear halves with
syrup occasionally. Chill until needed.
For Serving:
Lightly sweetened whipped cream or good vanilla ice cream
To Serve:
For a classic "Poires Belle Helene", warm the chocolate sauce
in a small heatproof bowl over hot water on low heat, stirring
often just until pourable and at room temperature. Make a small
pool of chocolate sauce on the bottom of a medium dessert plate
with a slight rim. Place one or two pear halves on the sauce,
then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle a little more sauce
over the pears. You can substitute lightly sweetened whipped cream
for the ice cream, if you wish. To get fancier, slice pear halves
vertically into thin strips, then place strips in a sunburst pattern
on the chocolate sauce, and place the scoop of ice cream in the
middle of the design. 2-6 servings, depending on number of pears
and number of halves used per serving
©
Stephanie Zonis provides the above information to anyone, but
retains copyright on all text. This means that you may not: distribute
the text to others without the express written permission of Stephanie
Zonis; "mirror" or include this information on your
own server or documents without my permission; modify or re-use
the text on this system. You MAY: print copies of the information
for your own personal use; store the files on your own computer
for your personal use only; reference hypertext documents on this
server from your own documents.
