With pears at their peak in autumn, now is the time to indulge in this sweet, healthful treat.
Start by not worrying much about perfectly ripe pears. Because pears that ripen on the tree develop a gritty texture, they are harvested and shipped while still quite hard. This means you can select perfect, unblemished fruits and allow them to ripen in your kitchen.
In desserts, pears appear in tarts, upside-down cakes and sorbets.
The often overlooked option of poached pears is one of the simplest and most elegant ways to prepare this fruit.
The technique is easy. A simple syrup is made by combining roughly four parts water with one part sugar plus any variety of flavorings, such as whole spices and citrus peels.
This syrup is brought to a simmer, and the pears are added and cooked until just tender and infused with the flavors of the syrup.
The cooking liquid is reserved and served with the poached fruit.
Firm pears that are just slightly underripe are best for poaching because they hold their shape well. Bosc pears, which keep their shape even when quite ripe, are best, though Anjou and Bartlett work well, too.
Poaching also is an excellent way to prepare stone fruits such as plums, peaches and nectarines. Use slightly hard, peeled fruit for the best results. Dried fruits such as apricots, figs and prunes also are delicious this way.
This recipe for spiced poached pears uses whole cinnamon and black peppercorns for a subtle yet exotic flavor. If you like, the pears can be prepared up to four days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
Spiced Poached Pears
Start to finish 40 minutes, 15 minutes active. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 orange
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
4 cups water
6 ripe but firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, remove four 3-inch strips of zest from the orange. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
In a large saucepan, combine the zest and orange juice with the sugar, lemon juice, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
Add the pears and simmer over low heat until just tender when pierced with a knife, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how ripe the pears are.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears to a serving bowl. Set aside.
Bring the remaining liquid and spices in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat and boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Pour the syrup through a strainer over the pears. Discard the spices.
Let the pears and syrup cool to room temperature and serve.
Per serving: 225 calories; 1 g fat (0 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 67 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 4 g fiber; 0 mg sodium.
