Poached Pears

January 26th, 2012  |  14 Comments

If you watch Top Chef Just Desserts, you may be familiar with the awesomeness that is Johnny Iuzzini, the head judge and executive pastry chef at the bajillion-starred New York restaurant Jean Georges. Now, though, I should say their former pastry chef, since he recently gave his notice.

And guess who’s taking his place? My mentor, teacher and all around amazing chef Joseph Murphy. This news warms every cockle of my heart, because it just reinforces what I already know — that I got some amazing training. Training that is now heading up the famed Jean Georges.

As a brand spanking newbie, one of the first things Joe taught me was how to do poached pears. I still remember him pouring four fat bottles of port into a vat full of fresh Bartletts, throwing in all the fragrant sugar n spice and letting ‘er rip. You could easily get drunk on all those fumes blowing through the air. (And really, was it my imagination or did the day go by just a little bit faster when the pears were on?)

It’s a great beginner’s recipe. The only part that you might even call tricky, if you were having an anxious day, is when to deem them tender enough to take them off the heat. I suggest you stab them once or twice with a small knife while they’re still raw to get a sense of what their texture is like (and also because stabbing fruit just feels good), and get a frame of reference for what “firm-tender” is like later. It’s better to take them off the heat too soon than too late, since there will be a minute or two of residual cooking in the hot liquid.

I like to poach them whole so they have less of a chance of falling apart into a mush, and cut them into pieces later. Also, after they’re done cooking, I cool and store them in their liquid. After a few days, they absorb the hue like a kid hearing curse words and gain a deep color and flavor for ultimate beauty inside and out.

Poached Pears

This is not a recipe one needs to adhere to closely. I’ve included 2 examples, but you can make several variations that sound appealing with a mix-and-match system. All you need is 4 cups liquid, be it water or white wine or red, 3 cups sweetener, be it sugar or honey, and flavorings like vanilla and spices.

Spiced Poached Pears
4 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 lemon, rind and juice
1 one-inch piece of ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
4 pears — I’ve had success with just about any pear, but typically can get my hands on a Bosc or Bartlett in stores

or 

Port Poached Pears
4 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
orange zest
4 pears — I’ve had success with just about any pear, but typically can get my hands on a Bosc or Bartlett in stores

For Spiced Poached Pears:

Gathered stuff.

First I get my poaching liquid ready, so this way I can throw the pears in as a peel them to keep them from browing. Strip that lemon!

Grab a smallish pot that will fit 4 pears comfortably. (A pot that’s too big will make the liquid too shallow to cover the pears fully.) Add the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and ginger.

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the water. Throw the husks in too for good measure.

Peel the pears. I like to keep the strips even from top to bottom, so the pear looks all smooth and purdy on the outside. As you peel each one, plop it in the liquid.

Here they all are, fours pears in a pan, huddled together.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. The time depends on how ripe they were to begin with. Softer, riper pears will cook much faster than hard as a rock, plucked-too-soon pears.

Slide a knife in to test and if it glides right in, they’re ready. If they turn into a broken-down mush, they’ve gone too far, if I may be so obvious. Keep in mind they’ll cook for another minute from the residual heat.

Turn off the heat and pour them into a plastic container. Let them cool in the liquid, and store them in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. They will deepen in flavor as they sit.

To serve, slice them in half, core them with a melon baller or a small paring knife.

Leave the stem on for a touch of elegance.

For the port poached pears:

Stuff.

The methods’s the same. The zest, wine, vanilla and sugar got in a small pot.

Peel ’em.

Toss ’em in. Poach.

Cool.

Finis.