Poires belle Hélène
Poached pears with a salted dark chocolate sauce, toasted almond and vanilla ice cream
Servings: 5
Ingredients
The Poached Pears
- 5 Pears conference pears or any pear you like, not too ripe
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Cinnamon Stick 2-3”
- 1/2 Vanilla Bean
- 1 C Sugar
- 3 1/2 C Water or more to cover pears
- Salt
Salted Dark Chocolate Sauce
- 3.5 oz Dark Chocolate
- 3.5 oz Heavy Cream
- Salt
To Serve
- 1/2 C Sliced Almonds toasted
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
Poach Pears
- Combine the sugar, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, water and salt. Bring that to a boil while you prep your pears. Make sure all sugar has dissolved.
- To prep the pears you want to peel them, leaving the stem intact, and core the bottom. I like to use a 1/4 tsp measure for this — its the perfect size to remove that bottom core. You can use a spoon or carefully remove it with a pairing knife.
- Reduce the heat on the poaching liquid to a simmer. Carefully add pears making sure they are fully submerged. Add in a bit more water if needed to make sure they are covered. Simmer for 30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes so they cook evenly. The pears are done when you can easily pierce them with a pairing knife. Check around 20 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on size and ripeness.
- Turn off the heat and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid. Once cool enough to handle, add to a jar or airtight container. Cover in that syrup and store the in the fridge until ready to serve.
Make Chocolate Sauce
- Chop the chocolate into small bits. The smaller the better, it will help the chocolate melt quickly in the warmed cream. Aim for bits around 1/2” or smaller. Add to a heat safe bowl.
- Warm the cream over low heat, just until you see a few tiny bubbles around the edges of the pan.
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir gently until all the chocolate has melted. Add in a pinch of salt and set aside.
Plate and Serve
- Toast the almonds in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Keep an eye on them so the don’t burn.
- Remove the pears from their poaching liquid and arrange on serving plate. Pour over hot chocolate sauce. Then top with toasted almonds and a generous pinch of flaky salt. Serve with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream and eat up!
Notes
To reheat chocolate sauce you can either microwave for 10-15 seconds, stir, and then repeat until warm. Or, heat it over a pan of simmering water on the stovetop.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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