Port-Poached Pears with Chai & Citrus
A deep red dish with warming flavors to match the colors of the autumn leaves and your mood. They go with anything really, whether it’s your main or dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 organic orange
- 1 kg Gieser Wildeman pears (small Dutch cooking pears – also known as Saint Remy)
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 clove
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 tbsp David Rio Tiger Spice Chai powder
- 750 ml red port
Instructions
- Peel the pears from stem to base with a vegetable peeler, keeping the stems intact. Rinse under cold water and place them in a large pan.
- Scrub the orange and lemon clean. Using a peeler, remove the orange peel from the orange and the yellow zest from the lemon — make sure to cut off any white, since this is bitter.
- Pour in enough port to just cover the pears. Add the citrus peels, sugar, chai powder, and spices. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the pears simmer softly on low for 2–3 hours, depending on their size and your preferred texture.
- When they are deep red and tender, remove from the heat and allow the pears to cool in their syrup.