Perfectly Poached Pears

Yes, it is apple season, but it’s also pear season.

I’ve got a real thing for pears, and poaching pears is so easy. It’s a shame not to do it.

I followed a simple recipe from David Lebovitz’s blog. Some day, when you have a few minutes, spend some time on David’s blog. The link is always on my side-bar in my blogroll list. David lives in Paris, travels, eats and prepares wonderful foods and is a superb writer.

Start with 4 firm pears of your choice. Cooking pears hold their shape better than eating pears.

Peel and slice your pears. Add them to a heavy sauce pan or small dutch oven.

Pour 1 quart of water over the pears.

Next add 1~1/3 cup of sugar.

The rest is up to taste. I like lemon and vanilla, so that’s what I added. You could add rosemary, cinnamon or anything else that sounds good to you.

I tossed in 1 sliced lemon and 2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract paste with seeds.

Cut a top with parchment paper adding a hole in the center for the steam to escape.

Poach for about 25 minutes at a very low boil/ high simmer until the pears are tender.

The night I made them, we served them with crepes and fresh whipped cream. We ate them so fast, I forgot to get some photos. Sorry, take my word for it…they were delicious!

We had a few left over, so they went in the fridge over night.

The next night with dinner, we had pear salad with cheddar cheese and a dressing of equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise.  They were wonderful both warm the night before and cold the next night. Also, you can reduce the cooking liquid until syrupy and bottle for future use.

Enjoy!

the wanna be country girl – Caroline