Ingredients

Method

• 2 cups verjuice
• 1 cup pear liqueur or Noble Late Harvest
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 3 whole star anise
• 8 large pears
• 1 x 250 g tub mascarpone
• 1 x 100 g pack pistachios, chopped
• 2 T icing sugar

Method

Ingredients

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the verjuice, pear liqueur or Noble Late Harvest, sugar and spices. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat to just below boiling point. Slice the pears in half and add to the spicy verjuice. Slowly poach for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pears are soft and cooked, but still firm.
Combine the mascarpone, chopped pistachios and icing sugar.
Serve the pears in the poaching syrup with spoonfuls of the nutty mascarpone on the side.
Cook’s note: Refrigerate any leftover poaching stock for another fruit dessert – the syrup’s flavours will intensify and reusing it will add greater dimension to your poached fruits.

Per serving: 2275.3 KJ, 1.8 g protein, 32.7 g fat, 55.2 g carbs

TASTE’s take:
It’s been said that while the duty of an apple is to be crisp and crunchy, a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption. Make the most of the noble fruit, now at its fragrant, velvety best.