Last night, Jane and I took part in a wine-themed dinner party, in which we were asked to contribute a bottle and at least one side dish. It wasn't difficult finding a suitable bottle - a spicy fume blanc from Napa’s Grgich Hills Estate. We also brought along some of our pickled rhubarb to go alongside a few strong cheeses. But I wanted to try my hand at a fruit-based dessert, which turned out to work perfectly for the occasion, as other guests were focusing on savory dishes.
Although our backyard pears haven't quite reached the proper stage of ripening, I was interested in adapting a recipe that called for fresh pears to be poached in a tea-based syrup filled with spices. Taking Georgeanne Brennan's recipe for her private orchard-grown Louise Bonne pears, Poires au The aux Epices, I managed to scrounge around for a proper blend of star anise, vanilla bean and whole cloves. The result was a relatively simple creation that positively spilled over with fresh vanilla scent and warm tea aromas. It seemed to be a hit, with several partygoers requesting the recipe. So here it is, for them and for you.
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Poires au Thé aux Epices / tea-poached pears with spices
1 cup water
1 cup white wine (the drier the better)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Earl Gray tea bags (you could also use 2 tablespoons of Earl Gray tea inside a tea ball)
1 orange zest strip
2 star anise pods
4 whole cloves
1 piece vanilla bean, pod split open and seeds scraped (I used a 2-3 inch section of whole vanilla bean, and dumped the pod into the syrup after scraping the beans - more residual flavor if you use both beans and pod)
5 pears, peeled, quartered and cored
1) Over medium high heat in a saucepan, combine water, wine sugar, tea, orange zest, cloves, star anise and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until a syrup forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, 15 minutes. Remove tea bags.
2) Return to medium heat and bring to just under a boil. Reduce heat to low, and transfer pear slices into the liquid. Poach for 4 minutes, turning over and poaching an additional 3 minutes.
3) Transfer contents to a glass bowl. Allow to cool. Remove orange peel and vanilla bean pod (I left in the star anise and cloves because I think they're pretty and most guests are smart enough not to try and eat them). Cover, and chill inside refrigerator.
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The pears will keep for up to five days if refrigerated. I served them about four hours after making them, and they were perfectly chilled and flavor-absorbed. I recommend pouring the syrup over the pears in individual bowls.
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