Lavender Poached Pears
Lavender Poached Pears
Now I know what you must be thinking, that this is a nancy recipe from Delia in conjunction with Laura Ashley. Well it’s not! I was at my local spice supplier (www.greenvalleyspices.com.au ) and noticed the fresh but sweet smell coming from a large open bag of lavender. It got me thinking that it would make an interesting change from cinnamon or vanilla that are often used to poach fruit.
Getting the poaching liquid right took a few attempts, the first experiment tasted like a mouthful of soggy pot pourri but the recipe below is spot on and sounds more impressive than the effort needed to make it. I served it with French Vanilla ice cream but big dollop of fresh mascarpone cheese would work a treat.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 firm pear (any variety will do) Allow 1 pear per person.
- 80g brown sugar
- 500ml water
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1tsp dried lavender flowers – stem removed
Heat the sugar, water, lavender and lemon juice up in a saucepan until the sugar has melted. Peel the pear(s) being careful not to remove the stalk. When the liquid comes to the boil gently put the pear into the liquid.
If you are making this for several people you will need to increase the amount of poaching liquid accordingly. However increase the lavender with caution, more than 1/12 tspns and it overpowers the rest of the flavours.
Ideally keep the pear submerged. Gently boil for 15-20 minutes. Test the pear to see if it is cooked every 5-10 minutes. Best way to do this is to stick a pairing knife into the pear. If it is soft to the middle it is ready. I used very unripe pears and poached it for about 25 minutes.
Remove the pear(s) with a slotted spoon and allow to cool in a bowl. Strain the liquid through a sieve and reduce to about 1/3 the volume. Once the fruit has cooled, place in the fridge for 1 hour. Serve with mascarpone or vanilla ice cream with the reduction drizzled over the pear.
Lavendet poached pears with French vanilla ice cream.
About the Author
Gareth Englishman in Sydney loves a whisky, pies and all things savoury. Digital Marketer by day, cook the rest of the time. Amateur writer, photographer & aspiring anthropologists.
