Hibiscus Poached Pears
For when you don't feel like baking. 'Biblical' stained fruit to stew in the colder months. And a delicious way to celebrate the flavour, texture and beauty of pome fruit.
Hello,
How’s your December going? I can’t believe we’re over halfway through already. This month really has flown by.
DECEMBER
The last few weeks have been busy with work at C et C and Motif (which has been full on, but also so incredibly smooth this year, and I have been thanking my lucky stars for).
However, the xmas rush teamed with moving and packing and trying to sell many worldly possessions all at the same time has meant that my favourite activity of fermenting and cooking for loved ones has been pushed to the back burner for a good couple of months now.
I ran out of my last homemade ferment a few weeks ago and I can feel it in my body - I’m craving that sour tang of kimchi or lacto-carrots both in my gut and my brain.
During this busy period, I have been reaching for quick easy meals in between filling boxes, trips to the charity shop and meeting people who have been coming to collect items that have been listed on ebay or marketplace. I’ve been thanking my rice cooker daily for big bowls of buckwheat; cooked with stock, bay leaves and seaweed flakes; then mixed with pulses or legumes and any vegetables I happen to have had to hand.
After the move this weekend, followed by Christmas, I might just let myself do nothing this betwixtmas. My plan is to mooch around in my comfiest clothes and spend some healing time in the kitchen, making ferments for the year ahead with podcasts on non-stop in the background (I’m a new convert to the Expanded podcast, which means I have 300+ episodes to enjoy catching up on).
With all this in my mind, and knowing how busy this time of year is for everyone, I thought I would share a really simple, easy dessert. It’s fuss-free and can be made whilst you’re trying to do 1039 other things at the same time.
One to make when you don’t feel like baking but need something exciting to take to a party or bring out at the end of a meal.
I hope you enjoy <3
HIBISCUS POACHED PEARS
I discovered this recipe on a rainy afternoon whilst looking after a neighbour’s dog and randomly picking up Diana Henry's 'How to Eat a Peach' from their bookshelves. Once I’d opened the book, I couldn't put it down for hours.
This is the first dish I made from Diana's beautiful work and the simplicity of the recipe, plus the crowd pleasing factor, has kept me returning to it again and again.
Known for being anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants and vitamin C, hibiscus is said to have natural acids which can gently aid digestion and be a soothing ingredient for the heart. It makes this dessert feel as nourishing as it does luxurious.
When cooking, the dried petal infusion fills the house with a beautiful aroma, and when brought to the table the pears glisten like jewels on the plate, glossy and glimmering under the light. It feels both indulgent to both make and serve. To make everything seem even more decadent, I love lighting as many candles as possible before tucking in.
I also am just a little bit obsessed with cooking with hibiscus petals - with their deep plum colour and ability to dye everything they come into contact with. Something about making this dessert gives me that ‘awe’ feeling - at the sheer beauty of our natural world.
A friend recently described these pears looking like 'biblical fruit' and I think she summed it up perfectly.
Said to date back to ancient European kitchens, poached pears used to be gently simmered in wine or syrup to enhance their natural sweetness.
The use of hibiscus instead of wine in this recipe adds more of an earthy tang and a little citrusy sharpness that blends with natural flavour of the pears. It creates a delicious harmonious balance between tart and sweet.
You can eat the pears warm, on the same day as the poaching, but I prefer to let the pears linger in their infusion for 24 - 48 hours ~ the longer they are left in the hibiscus liquid, the more they will slowly turn deeper shade of violet and soak up the floral, tangy essence of the syrup.
The ruby red colour of the the hibiscus potion only goes so deep, and when sliced into, it's fun to see how far the dye effect made through the tender flesh and compare with the person sitting next to you.
In the recipe below I subbed soft brown sugar for coconut sugar (to make it refined sugar free + more auto-immune friendly), added slices of ginger to the poaching liquid (for a little spicy kick) and offer the suggestion of serving mascarpone or a thick kefir alongside the pears when dished up. The combination of buttery poached fruit and rich creamy dairy just seems to go hand-in-hand.
These are my favourite to prepare a day before hosting to take away the stress of making dessert on the day, or as a simple offering to take round to a friend's dinner party.
They travel well in a sealed kilner jar with all their liquid and can be dished up easily without any fuss or a lot of mess at the end of the meal.
To simple, delicious but decadent desserts <3
Let me know if you make this and how it comes out for you, always love hearing about your kitchen experiences <3
With love, Fleur x
A RECIPE FOR HIBISCUS POACHED PEARS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 ripe but firm pears (such as Conference or Comice)
500 ml water
4 tablespoons of dried hibiscus flowers
150g coconut sugar (or any sugar you prefer)
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 strips of orange zest
1 star anise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 large thumb sized piece of ginger cut into slices
1/2 a lemon
Ice cream / mascarpone / thick greek yoghurt / kefir to serve
+ 1 large saucepan, knife, chopping board, sieve + a container if leaving the pears to soak in the infusion over night (a kilner jar works well for this).
METHOD:
Peel the pears leaving the stems on
Place the pears in a bowl of water with the lemon juice to stop them browning whilst you get everything else ready
Add the water, hibiscus petals, sugar, cinnamon stick, orange zest, star anise and ginger to the saucepan
Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar
Simmer for 15 - 20 mins to let the flavours infuse
Add the pears to the saucepan making sure they are fully submerged in the hibiscus liquid
You can add a bit more water if needed to make sure the pears are fully covered
Bring the hibiscus mixture back to simmering and cook the pears gently for 30-40 mins or until tender and a knife easily can cut them (the time will vary depending on the size and ripeness of the pears).
Turn the pears over every so often to make sure they cook evenly and soak up the deep red hibiscus colour
When the pears are cooked, remove them from the poaching mixture and set them aside to cool
Simmer the liquid for a further few minutes so it thickens and becomes slightly syrupy
Strain the mixture to remove the ingredients
Add the vanilla extract if using
Serve the poached pears warm with a scoop of ice cream or alternatively, leave the hibiscus mixture to cool, pour into a ceramic or glass dish and place the pears back in the liquid to keep dyeing the pears a deeper purple colour (wait for the mixture to cool before returning the pears to the liquid so as not to cook the pears further and end up with a mushy mixture)
Place the pears in their liquid into the fridge and turn the pears over every now and then so the colour is even on both sides (tip: if you use a kilner jar for this step, the pears will nearly be fully submerged in the syrup and will not need turning round so often)
The pears can be left in the fridge for up to 48 hours and served cold in their syrup, they are delicious with a spoonful of mascarpone or thick greek yoghurt.
