Poached Pears in Ginger-Lemon Sauce

Submitted by Tonkcats

• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, cut in julienne strips
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• to taste water
• 6 medium Asian pears, peeled with stems attached (2 1/2 to 3-inches diameter) (firm)
• to taste lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

directions

1. With a vegetable peeler, pare yellow part only of peel from lemon.
2. Cut peel into julienne strips to make 1 table- spoon.
3. Ream enough lemon to make 1 tablespoon juice. In a 5 to 6 quart pan, combine lemon peel, lemon juice, ginger, sugar and 3 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Add pears and more water, if needed, to cover them.
6. Simmer, covered, until pears are tender when pierced, about 30 minutes.
7. Put pears in 6 shallow-rimmed dishes or shallow bowls.
8. On high heat, boil syrup, uncovered, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 40 minutes.
9. Pour syrup over pears.
10. Cool, cover and chill until cold or up to 2 days.

Reviews

[KWB5015]

I was looking for a healthier/lower sugar dessert for a friend. I used some bizarre Eastern European 'bosc'-ish pears and they worked okay. In the 3 or 4 hours between making them (and straining them from their poaching liquid and putting them in a bowl with a lid and leaving them at room temperature) and then finally serving them, they oxidized a bit and took on an very, very light grey-brown hue, but that could be that I just didn't poach them long enough or that my pears were not as suitable for poaching as other varieties. I waited to pour the poaching syrup over them, so maybe that was the problem. It was my first poached pear voyage, so I'm pretty satisfied.

 

[Maven in the Making]

Fabulous! Made this just as directed and really impressed my dinner guests! The syrup was so good - great trick using the poaching liquid (boiled down) for a beautiful amber glaze. (Hint: the liquid gets kind of foamy and darker in color when it's almost done. Be sure to stir it and watch it carefully.) Very refreshing, light dessert. Perfect!!

 

[Montana Heart Song]

I have never had any luck with poaching pears!. This time I decided to cut the pears in half. This worked like a charm. No, they weren't whole but they were cooked, the sauce was delicious and served with whipped cream. Thanks for posting!And everyone thought 1/2 of a pear was right.