Pears are a awesome fruit to cook with. Once peeled there soft flesh absorbs and soaks in any herbs, spices and any other liquids you may use. They are available all year around too. I feel too that the humble pear is pushed aside for the more main stream fruits like your granny smith's, bananas and stone fruits, which make them a tad cheaper.So what were going to do is cheat here and use orange juice to poach our pears because using a sugar syrup to poach isn't very Paleo friendly.
Ingredients:
- 2 or 3 pears, any variety.
- 1 litre of orange juice, fresh orange juice that you can buy from a real green grocer or market. Use packet stuff only if you can't find anything else, go for the organic stuff as they have less preservatives . Or make you're own.
- 1 Cinnamon stick, or 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder.
- 2 pieces of Star -anise.
- 2 cloves or cardamon.(optional)
- Juice from 2 lemons. Take the rind off first with a zester to add taste.
Method:
- Peel you're pears and place in a pot with the orange juice and all other ingredients.
- Bring to a light simmer and then turn down to lowest setting on your stove.
- Cover and poach for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour grab a small sharp knife and poke the pears. If it goes in easy and all the way to the core, there done.
- Place in the fridge with some of the liquid on top.
- Keep the remaining liquid in the pot and bring it to the boil. Then turn down to a simmer to make a strong, sweet, sticky sauce.
Makes: 2 to 3 serves.
Prep/cook time: 1 hour
Notes:
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Egg free
Oh and just quickly if you are going to make a sugar syrup to poach fruit, the ratio is always 1:1. So 100 grams of sugar to 100 millilitres of water.
