Poached Pears
POACHED PEARS
SERVES 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
3 cups white wine
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
6 large pears
Place the sugar, water, wine and vanilla bean a sauce pan and bring to a boil, dissolving the sugar. Lower heat to simmer liquid.
Peel the pears, leaving the stems.
Add the pears to the simmering liquid. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until a knife pierces the pears easily. Cool pears in the liquid. Pears can be served warm, room temperature or cold.
Pear Caramel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Poire Williams (pear liqueur)
Heat the sugar over medium heat. The sugar will melt and then start changing color. When the color is a light caramel color, take pan off the heat and slowly add the heavy cream. Adding the cream will make sauce sizzle and splatter for a few moments so take care. Keep stirring and add Poire Williams.
Plate the pears, one per plate. Drizzle lots of the pear caramel sauce over the pears. Keep the rest of the sauce for caramel ice cream sundaes.