Earl grey poached pears are an elegant and easy dessert with huge plate impact! With 4 simple ingredients you can create this fancy dessert.
Earl grey poached pears are one of the most elegant desserts you can make! There is something about pears, their ability to take on color, their shape, and they just plate so well. The pears get their beautiful color from being poached in earl grey tea for 40 mins, 20 mins each side. The earl grey poached pears absorb all the flavour and color. From there we reduce the poaching liquid to create this earl grey syrup that is then poured over top. But why stop there? Plate your pears in a bed of crushed pecans and a side of vanilla ice cream! This truly is an easy poached pear recipe.
Why you’ll love earl grey poached pears:
– This poached pear recipe is so simple to make, it might just become your new favourite
– It’s foolproof for all the non-bakers out there
– The flavour is sweet and cozy
– You’ll learn the ins and outs of how to poach pears
– Plus, I’m even giving some poached pears dessert plating tips!
In this recipe you will learn how to make earl grey poached pears, how to poach pears so you can come up with your own creations, plating tips, and much more.
How to make earl grey poached pears:
If you know me, you know I love fancy desserts. Not only do I believe you eat with your eyes but the overall experience with a dish matters too! I am talking about the feeling of diving into a beautifully plated dessert. You need to smell it, see it and taste it for it to truly come alive, and I believe this dessert recipe does just that!
How do you core a pear for poaching?
Actually when you poach pears you do not need to core them. The stem actually acts as a very important tool, as it allows you to rotate the pears in the poaching liquid without damaging the soft flesh of the fruit.
How long do poached pears keep?
In my experience poached pears last up to 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. I believe the pears do last longer than the 2 days, however, past then they start to lose their textural integrity.
Do pears have to be ripe to poach?
Yes, pears should be ripe to poach. I recommend firm pears as they hold up to poaching better than really ripe ones. Save the extra ripe pears for tarts and pies when you really want their sweetness to sing and juiciness to be noticed.
How do you keep poached pears from turning brown?
I love this question. When it comes to any fruit, like pears or apples, once they are peeled they will start to oxidize. You can notice this process happening when the fruit starts to turn brown. There are two ways to help stop this from happening. The first way is to only peel your pear (or fruit) just before use. The second way is to squeeze lemon juice over your fruit. The acid helps prolong the oxidation process. The only downfall to adding lemon juice is that it can change or add a flavour into your dish you didn’t want to add.
Ingredients:
Water: Water plays a crucial role in this recipe as the pears are poached in it. If your tap water has an odor, I recommend using filtered water to avoid any unwanted flavours.
Sugar: In this recipe I use standard granulated sugar.
Cinnamon: I like to add a little cinnamon to the water. It helps give it a little extra flavour and works well to heighten the earl grey tea.
Earl grey tea: I recommend using tea bags for this recipe as loose leaf can be a pain to strain from the water. Any brand of earl grey will work.
Pears: I use Anjou pears in this recipe because they are firm and can handle poaching. You can use any pear for this recipe, however, you may have to adjust poaching time if they are a softer or more delicate pear.
Baking Overview: Earl Grey Poach Pears
There are two main stages to make earl grey poach pears. The first stage is to let the pears simmer in the tea water 15-20 mins each side. The second stage is to let the pears steep in the warm water for about an hour basting every 10-15 mins. That’s how simple it is to make poached pears. You can even take it a step further and create a syrup with the tea. This syrup helps amplify the earl grey flavour.
Poached pears dessert plating
To plate these pears, crush pecans and add them to your plate. Create a little nest with the nut pieces so the pear has a stand to sit on. Next, add a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and generously pour the syrup over top.
Looking for more recipes?
Chocolate Mochi Cake: View Recipe
Raspberry Cream Puffs: View Recipe
Molasses Apple Pithivier: View Recipe
Earl Grey Poached Pears
Equipment
- Large pot
- Peeler
- Wooden spoon
- Pan or saucepan
- Spatula
- Ziploc
- Flat based glass
Ingredients
Poached Pears
- 8 cup water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 earl grey tea bags
- 4 peeled firm but ripe pears I recommend Anjou pears
- 3-4 tbsp granulated sugar
Earl Grey Syrup
- 1 cup pear poaching liquid
- 1 cup granulated
Plating
- 1.5 cup pecans
- French vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
Poached Pears
- In a large pot bring 8 cups of water to boil. Then reduce to a simmer and add sugar, cinnamon and tea bags. Steep for 15 mins.
- In the meantime peel pears leaving a little skin around the stem, so it does not break off.
- Add pears to liquid and simmer on each side for 20mins (if your pears are really ripe do 15 mins). Once both sides are done, turn off the element and position the pears so that they are sitting straight up and down. Let them sit in the liquid for 40-50mins basting every 10 mins.
- Remove from liquid and set aside in a container.
Earl Grey Syrup
- Take some of the poaching liquid and sugar and combine in a pan, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, continue for 20 seconds then remove from heat and let cool.
Assembly
- When you are ready to serve, add pecan to a ziploc bag and remove all excess air. Use the flat base of a glass to crush the pecans. Divide the pecans into 4 equal parts and add to plate. Create a nest with the pecans so it is hollow in the center. Place the pear over the pecan nest and add a scoop of ice cream, then generously pour over the syrup.
Dorothy says
Really good! You just have to pay attention that your pears are cooked through.