Golden Poached Pears with Chocolate

Prep: 10 mins

Cooking: 15 mins

Difficulty: easy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

To buy:

 

25g freeze-dried raspberries

6 pears

100g dark chocolate

4 x sheets 5x5cm edible gold leaf

200ml water

200ml white wine

200g sugar

1 x star anais

1 cinnamon stick

Store-cupboard essentials:

50g Pistachio Nuts

PEEL each pear keeping the stalk intact. Remove the core.

COMBINE in a pan the water, wine, sugar, star anise and cinnamon stick and stir.

ADD the pears which should be fully submerged. Depending on the size of pear used, you may need to add more liquid – if so, add an extra 50ml water, 50ml wine and 50g sugar

SET over a medium heat until the liquid comes to the boil, then reduce the heat so that it is just simmering.

COOKING time for ripe pears 5 mins. Firm pears up to 15 mins

ONCE they are cooked, transfer the pears out of the poaching syrup and leave to one side to cool.

CHOP the pistachio nuts and place in a small deep bowl. Repeat the same process with the dried berries in another bowl.

PLACE a few berries over one of the gold leaf sheets and slowly roll the berries into the leaf gently with one finger. The gold leaf should start to break up and cover the berries with a speckled effect. Put these back in the dish with the rest and mix together.

MELT the chocolate and pour into a deep cup. Leave to cool slightly.

ONE by one, holding the pear by the stalk, dip it into the chocolate till it covers the pear halfway up.

PLACE on a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

DIP three pears into the nuts and three into the berries so that they cover just 2 cm of the base of the pear and serve.