I love the simplicity of these poached pears that chef Janni Kyritsis taught me to make many years ago.
At MG Garage, he served them alongside a delicate cardamom-scented blancmange made with yoghurt; I like them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or dollop of Chantilly cream, or just on their own for a sweet ending to a picnic lunch!
You need a slightly fruity white wine for this dish. I use White Fences sauvignon blanc from Mudgee and drink the rest of the bottle with the dessert. Use top-quality saffron stamens, such as the Persian ones from Saffron & More, for the distinctive aroma and beautiful colour they impart.
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups fruity white wine
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
- generous pinch saffron threads
- 4 small firm pears
Method
Place wine, water, sugar and saffron into a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears snugly and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, peel and core pears.
Add pears to the wine mixture; if necessary, add enough boiling water to just cover the pears.
Reduce heat, cover with a piece of baking paper and a lid and cook on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until tender.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool in the poaching liquid.
Cover and refrigerate until needed.
You’ll find a print-friendly version of this recipe here as well as a step-by-step video of how to prepare saffron for cooking.
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Also read: Baked Pears and Caramel Sauce