Perry-Poached Pears
Tender whole pears gently poached in spiced Herefordshire perry, finished with a luscious, glossy reduction syrup.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 210 kcal
Equipment
- •vegetable peeler
- •paring knife
- •medium saucepan
- •slotted spoon
- •greaseproof paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- fat
- 0.2 g
- carbs
- 48 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 1 g
- calories
- 210 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Peel the pears carefully with a vegetable peeler, keeping the stalks intact.
- 2
Slice a thin disc from the base of each pear so they sit flat.
- 3
Pour the perry into a medium saucepan placed on the hob.
- 4
Add the caster sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, citrus peels, and vanilla pod.
- 5
Warm gently over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 6
Lower the prepared pears upright into the warm poaching liquid.
- 7
Cover the pears directly with a round disc of greaseproof paper to keep them submerged.
- 8
Simmer very gently on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until tender when pierced.
- 9
Lift the poached pears out carefully using a slotted spoon and arrange into serving bowls.
- 10
Boil the remaining liquid vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until reduced to a glossy syrup.
- 11
Spoon the warm, spiced syrup over the pears before serving.
Chef's tips
Always select hard, slightly underripe pears so they retain their shape during poaching. Leaving the pears in the cooled syrup overnight in the fridge intensifies the spiced perry flavour beautifully.
Ingredient substitutions
- medium-dry Herefordshire perry → traditional still dry English cider
- clear honey → golden syrup or maple syrup
Storage
Store the poached pears submerged in their syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat pears and syrup together gently in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes until warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using ripe dessert pears, which will collapse into mush during simmering.
- •Boiling the liquid too vigorously while pears are in the pan, tearing the delicate fruit.
- •Discarding the cooking liquor rather than reducing it to a thick finishing syrup.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Perry-Poached Pears?
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