cider poached pears with apple cider caramel + toasted pecans
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
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Makes: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3-4 medium ripe but firm pears, peeled, halved and cored (see note)
  • 3 cups apple cider, plus more as needed (the cloudier, the better!)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp (about 20) whole cloves
  • 2" strip lemon peel
  • ice cream, for serving (dairy-free, if you choose)
  • apple cider caramel sauce (see recipe below)
  • heaping handful (or two!) pecan halves
  • freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small to medium saucepan, combine pears, cider, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon peel, adding additional cider (or water) to cover fruit. Bring mixture to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, cut a circle of parchment to fit your saucepan with a hole in the middle (see picture a la David Lebovitz), which helps to keep the fruit submerged while allowing steam to escape). Place parchment "lid" over pears, reduce heat, and simmer for 25-30 mins or until an inserted knife meets no resistance. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly.
  3. While pears are cooling, toast pecans lightly in a dry skillet or in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350F oven until nutty (nuttier?) smelling.
  4. Serve warm pears over vanilla ice cream (I like this as a dairy-free option) drizzled with caramel sauce and scattered with toasted pecans and a few grinds of black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
Typically, poached pears are cooked in a mixture of wine, water or fruit juice and sugar, but due to the high sugar content of the cider -- not to mention the decadent caramel topping -- these little guys don't require any extra sweetness. For a simpler, sans-caramel option (what fun is that!?) you could add a cup of sugar to the poaching liquid and reduce the liquid, itself, down to a sauce once the pears are removed.

Regarding the type of pears chosen: most recipes will recommend Bosc pears, which hold their shape nicely, while Bartlett have kind of a bad rap for falling apart. I've made this with both and didn't find the Bartlett to be exceedingly difficult or mushy. Good ol' DL isn't a fan of Anjou, so I'll take his word for it. :) Regardless, the fruit should be ripe but firm, erring more to the side of underripe than overripe, if you're questioning it.
Recipe by the pig & quill at https://thepigandquill.com/cider-poached-pears-with-apple-cider-caramel-toasted-pecans-vegan/