Lemon Poached Pears with Lemon Cream by Sara Foster

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Lemon Poached Pears with Lemon Cream

Post | Linda Avery on 04.27.07No Comment

Lemon Poached Pears with Lemon Cream by Sara Foster by Sara Foster with Carolynn Carreño
from Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking
(Clarkson Potter, 2007)
Serves 4

Poached pears may seem esoteric, but I’ve never served them where they weren’t a big hit. These are poached long enough for the pears to absorb the poaching liquid, giving them a tender and buttery texture. Bosc pears hold their shape best when cooked, but if you can’t find them, any variety will do.

convert Ingredients
For the Lemon Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup prepared lemon curd (your favorite)

For the poached pears
1 lemon
One 750ml bottle dry white wine (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
8 whole cloves
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
1 vanilla bean
4 Bosc pears, peeled
Lemon Cream

Method
Make the lemon cream
1. Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the lemon curd. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Make the poached pears
1. Zest the lemon using a citrus zester or cut off the zest and cut it into very thin strips.

2. Place the lemon zest in a medium saucepan with the wine, sugar, rum, cloves, and salt. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half; scrape the seeds into the saucepan, then drop the split bean into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the pears. If the liquid in the pan doesn’t cover them, add up to 1 cup of water to just cover the pears. (If the pears still are not covered, transfer them to a smaller saucepan rather than adding more water.) Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer the pears for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. Use a slotted spoon to lift the pears from the liquid onto a plate and cover them loosely with foil to keep warm. Return the liquid to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until it reduces and thickens to a syrupy consistency.

4. Place one pear on each of four plates. Drizzle with the poaching liquid, dollop a spoonful of the Lemon Cream next to each pear, and serve the remaining Lemon Cream on the side.