Pears are rich in fibre which is good for the digestive system and especially when cooked they provide a fibre hit which doesn't seem to upset sensitive guts. Deliciously soft yet sweet enough to hit our sweet spot!
Recipe created by Nourish cook and Dietitian, Clare Gray
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes depending on ripeness of the pears
Serves: 3
Ingredients
3 firm, slightly under ripe pears (Conference,Comice and Williams pears all work well)
750 ml of unfiltered cloudy apple juice
1 star anise
5 coriander seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
1 cardamom pod
1 strip of lemon zest
1 strip of orange zest
Method
- Peel the pears and remove the core from the base (use a melon baller if you have one)
- Place the pears in a medium saucepan, cover completely with the juice and set aside
- Toast the spices in a small dry frying pan over a low heat for several minutes. Once the spices become fragrant, remove from the heat and add to the apple juice and pears
- Add the strips of orange and lemon zest
- Poach the pears over medium heat. The hardness of the pear will determine how long it takes to cook, start checking it after 15 minutes using a small knife . Once the pear is tender but still holding its shape, remove from the juice and set aside
- Return the pan containing the apple juice to the hob and increase the temperature to a medium high heat. Allow the juice to simmer until it has reduced in quantity by half. The juice should now be thicker and more syrupy but still pourable.
- Allow to cook slightly and then strain through a fine sieve to pour over the pears
Tips
Serve warm or chilled with a crème fraîche, or thick greek yoghurt.
If you don't want to eat them immediately, stored the pears covered in the apple syrup in the fridge for up to 4 days.