Poached Pears with Ginger
Serves 6
Cold poached pears make a light dessert any time of the year. I add star anise and some fresh gingerroot to the poaching liquid along with the usual cinnamon stick and lemon for a Chinese flavor. A good company dessert, the pears can be prepared a few days ahead.
Leftover cooked pears can be served with Berry Sauce, plain or with a scoop of ice cream.
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 2-inch pieces of lemon zest
- 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 2-inch piece gingerroot, sliced
- 2 star anise
- 6 firm pears, preferably Anjou or Comice
- Place sugar, water, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, gingerroot and star anise in a saucepan just large enough to hold all of the pears in a single layer.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the spices to flavor the liquid.
- Core the pears. You can either leave them whole or cut them into halves. Carefully place the pears in the boiling liquid, adding more water, if necessary, to cover them.
- Return the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the pears gently until they are just tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the liquid and set aside. Increase the heat to high and boil to reduce the liquid to about 2 cups. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids.
- If serving hot, place the pears in individual serving dishes and spoon some sauce over each.
- If serving cold, place the pears in a bowl, pour the sauce over them and refrigerate, covered. The pears will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
from:
Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine
The Fabulous Flavors and Innovative Recipes of
North America's Finest Chinese Cook
by Susanna Foo
Photography by Louis B. Wallach
Chapters Publishing
October 15, 1995
$35.00/hardcover
30 full-color photographs throughout
ISBN: 1-881527-94-8
Reprinted by permission.
Susanna Foo Recipes
- Recipes for a Celebratory Home Menu
- "Honeyed" Walnuts
- Orange Beef with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Poached Pears with Ginger
- Pork Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Sauce
- Soy-Ginger Sauce
- Additional Recipes from Susanna Foo
- Breast of Chicken Sautéed with Mushrooms
- Fresh Pineapple with Berry Sauce
- Jade Green Fried Rice with Crabmeat
- Spiced Shiitake Mushrooms
- Susanna Foo and Chinese New Year
- Interview with Susanna Foo
- About the Book: Chinese Cuisine
- Chinese New Year: A Tale of the Ox
- Chinese New Year 1997
Chinese and Lunar New Year Handbook
This Archived Page created between 1994 and 2001. Modified August 2007
