How to Poach Pears
A handy stock syrup recipe….
Further to a request from a regular contributor to the blog here’s a recipe for stock syrup and poached pears.
The great thing about stock syrup is that you can adjust the flavours to suit you, make a decent amount and it will keep brilliantly to use on other recipes. We vary the flavourings to match the seasons and spice plays a big part, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, chilli, the list goes on. Don’t forget herbs either, mint, thyme, verbena, basil and rosemary are great for a summer syrup to flavour those freshly picked fruits.
Poaching Liquid/Stock Syrup Recipe
2.5 litres of water to 1.5kg of caster sugar. 200ml of white wine or cognac (optional but nice) 250ml fresh lemon juice. The peel of 4 lemons and 3 oranges cut into large pieces, 2 vanilla pods split in half and scraped, a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger peeled and roughly sliced, a couple of cinnamon sticks, six or seven cloves, four or five star anise, nine or ten cloves, a piece of mace and four or five lightly bashed juniper berries.
Put the lot into a pan and simmer gently for about ten minutes, leave to infuse. Use as required.
Poaching Pears
Take a pan large enough to accomodate your just peeled pears and reheat your stock syrup, simmer gently then add the pears. Cover with some greaseproof paper and cook in a leisurely manner for about twenty minutes or until just cooked. Serve hot or cold, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream wouldn’t go amiss.
Miles,
I shall make this syrup and eat it with everything
Cid
February 28, 2008 @ 8:39 am
Miles,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will certainly copy that. I love my winter stock syrup. It is such a great stock to keep in the fridge, ready for use any time.
Cid, this syrup sounds yummy - we just have to have temporary amnesia about the sugar
Elsie
February 28, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Elsie,
This will do me no good at all in my quest for supermodel status… most of the things I like have this tendency unfortunately. This was the very subject of my debating club only this week (most weeks actually!) that women of a certain age ‘let themselves go’… well there’s no denying that enjoying life to the full sometimes results in a less than perfect frame. So I’m down to my wits alone… time to take stock, stock syrup that is
Cid
February 28, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
Cid,
Better to be a little rounded and happy than thin and miserable. To lose too much weight can also be very aging and drooping! My older, guiding stars used to tell me that it was good to have a little padding that can be lost during bad times. I have also known a few men who said that they did not like these skinny things and preferred to be able to get hold of something
Take your pick!
I am a believer in eating a bit of everything for a balance. I don’t deny myself of anything worth eating at my time of life! Would you have been able to cope with the yards and sewage challenges if you had been a skinny little thing?
Elsie
February 28, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Elsie,
What excellent points and yes I would certainly have struggled were I not a woman of substance
A little of what you fancy, that’s what they say…
Cid
p.s. these men who says such things, why are they never around when you need them?
February 28, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
Cid,
I know I said it was versatile but there is a limit!
Miles
February 28, 2008 @ 10:19 pm