Star anise poached pears
Ingredients
Method
- In a saucepan deep enough to hold the pears standing up or lying down, add the water and sugar. Add the star anise, the cinnamon stick, the vanilla pod split in half and scraped, and 2 wide strips of lemon zest. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Meanwhile, peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, keeping the stalk. Cut a thin slice off the base so they stand upright. Rub them with the cut lemon so they don’t turn brown.
- Lower the pears into the simmering syrup: they should be covered. Place a disc of baking paper on top to keep them submerged.
- Poach at a gentle simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pears from time to time. They are done when the tip of a knife slides into the core without resistance.
- Lift out the pears with a slotted spoon. Reduce 250 ml of the syrup over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it coats the spoon. Add the lemon juice.
- Serve the pears warm or cold, glazed with the reduced syrup, with the star anise as decoration.
Notes
Tender, golden and delicately fragrant, star anise poached pears are one of the simplest and most elegant desserts of the cold season. A few star anise pods, a vanilla pod and a cinnamon stick are all it takes to turn ordinary pears into a festive dessert. Our poached pear with star anise cooks gently in a light syrup, then is glazed with that same syrup, reduced until glossy. Allow 50 minutes, only 15 of them hands-on.
Easy poached pears recipe, step by step
This easy poached pears recipe comes down to three steps. First, make a fragrant syrup with water, sugar and spices. Then lower the peeled pears into it and let them cook quietly at a gentle simmer. Finally, reduce part of the syrup, which becomes the sauce for the dessert.
The only real secret is keeping the pears fully submerged. Lay a disc of baking paper directly on the syrup, with a small hole in the centre: the pears stay below the surface and cook evenly, with no pale patches on top.
Which pears are best for poaching?
This is the most important question. Which pears are best for poaching without falling apart? Choose a firm-fleshed variety, and fruit that is not quite ripe.
- Conference: long and firm, it is the best pear for poaching. It keeps its shape and its lovely silhouette.
- Williams (Bartlett): very fragrant, it works perfectly while still firm. Overripe, it quickly turns mealy.
- Comice: very juicy and melting, it is delicious but more fragile. Shorten the cooking time.
- Cooking pears, such as the old French Saint-Rémy or Curé varieties, are hard when raw but ideal poached. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour of cooking.
How to poach pears without damaging them
Wondering how to poach pears so they are tender without falling to pieces? It is all about temperature. The syrup should simmer, not boil: small bubbles on the surface, never big rolling bubbles that would damage the fruit.
The cooking time depends on the variety and ripeness. Allow 20 to 25 minutes for Conference or Williams pears that are still firm, 15 minutes for riper pears. The foolproof test is the knife: the tip should slide into the core without resistance, like into soft butter. Start checking after 15 minutes, then every 5 minutes.
For a neat presentation, cut a thin slice off the base of the pears: they will stand upright on the plate. You can also remove the core from underneath with a melon baller, without touching the stalk.
Poached pears in a fragrant syrup
Pears poached in syrup should stay light. Our syrup uses 120 g of sugar for 1 litre of water: enough to flavour and colour the fruit without turning it into candy. A syrup that is too sweet firms up the pears and masks the taste of the spices.
At the end of cooking, take about 250 ml of syrup and reduce it over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. It turns amber and becomes thick enough to coat. The lemon juice added at the last moment brightens everything. Keep the rest of the syrup in the fridge for later (see below).
Spiced poached pears: the perfect pairing of winter spices
Spiced poached pears rely on a classic trio: star anise, vanilla and cinnamon. In a vanilla, cinnamon and star anise poached pear, each spice has its role. Star anise brings its warm aniseed note with a hint of liquorice. Vanilla rounds things off and softens. Cinnamon adds its woody warmth.
Go easy on the star anise: three pods are enough for a litre of syrup. Beyond that, its aniseed flavour takes over. For a change, you can add 2 cloves, a few crushed cardamom seeds, a slice of fresh ginger or a strip of orange zest. All these spices go beautifully with pear.
Our poached pear variations
Red wine and star anise poached pears
Red wine and star anise poached pears are the great classic version, inspired by Burgundy. Replace the water with 75 cl of fruity red wine (a Gamay or Pinot Noir) topped up with 25 cl of water, cut the sugar to 100 g and add the zest of an orange. The pears take on a magnificent ruby colour, deeper still if you leave them overnight in the wine. The reduced syrup becomes a glossy sauce that recalls mulled wine. Cooking evaporates a large part of the alcohol, but not all of it: choose the syrup version for children.
Honey and star anise poached pears
For honey and star anise poached pears, replace the sugar with 100 g of honey. A mild honey, such as acacia, leaves plenty of room for the spices; chestnut honey gives a stronger taste. Weight for weight, honey is sweeter than white sugar, so you can use a little less. Add it to the simmering, not boiling, water, then follow the recipe with no other change.
A light pear dessert
Looking for a light pear dessert to finish a hearty meal? One poached pear with two spoonfuls of syrup comes to about 160 kcal, with almost no fat. That is far less than a pear tart or a crumble, with the same feeling of an indulgent dessert. The pear also provides fibre, around 5 g per fruit.
To make it even lighter, serve the pears with a drizzle of unreduced syrup, or cut the sugar to 80 g: the spices more than make up for it.
What to serve with poached pears
Poached pears always make an impression served with other treats. Here are our favourite pairings:
- With a scoop of vanilla ice cream: the contrast between the warm pear and the ice cream is irresistible.
- With a hot chocolate sauce: this is the idea behind the classic poire Belle-Hélène, here lifted by star anise.
- With shortbread biscuits, crumbled speculoos or a slice of our soft pain d’épices.
- With Greek yoghurt or a spoonful of whipped cream, and a few toasted flaked almonds for crunch.
- With cheese: a Roquefort or another blue cheese, for a surprising sweet and savoury match.
To end the meal, a cup of homemade chai latte, also scented with cinnamon and cardamom, completes the plate perfectly.
Zero-waste poached pears
Zero-waste poached pears are the best way to rescue pears that stay hard and never quite ripen in the fruit bowl. Cooking makes them tender and sweet: in fact, they give the best results.
Nothing goes to waste in this recipe. The peels can be used to make a delicious pear peel and vanilla compote. The leftover syrup keeps for a week in the fridge: it flavours a fruit salad, sweetens tea or a herbal infusion, or can be used to poach a new batch of pears or apples.
A winter pear dessert for the holidays
From September to February, pears are at the height of their season. It is the ideal time for this winter pear dessert, which also has its place on a festive menu. It can be made the day before, which frees up the big day: the pears even gain in flavour after a night in their syrup. Served upright in a shallow bowl, glazed with amber syrup and decorated with a star anise, they make a very chic dessert for minimal effort.
Frequently asked questions
Can poached pears be made ahead?
Yes, it is even recommended. Let them cool in their syrup, then keep them for up to 4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container, well covered with syrup. Serve them cold, or warm them gently for 5 minutes in the syrup.
Should pears be peeled before poaching?
Yes. The skin stops the syrup and spices from reaching the flesh, and it turns a little tough when cooked. Just keep the stalk for presentation.
Can poached pears be frozen?
Yes, in their syrup, for 2 months. Their texture does become softer after thawing, though: they are then better suited to a compote, a coulis or a topping for yoghurt than served whole on the plate.
