Sweet endings: Poached pears

Recipe: Poached pears

I don't often make desserts. I would honestly rather have an extra helping of potatoes or pasta than use up all those calories on something sweet. However, I had invited a few of my neighbors over for a celebration of Spring dinner, and thought some of them might enjoy a dessert. This lovely and easy recipe from a 1970s cookbook I still use came to mind as a great finish for the meal, which would include braised lamb. Mmmmm, poached pears. Beautiful, aren't they? And so deliciously silky served with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Poached Pears

Fortunately, you don't have to search out perfect pears for this dessert. In fact, underripe pears, which most pears are when they are picked, hold together better than ripe pears. Use Bosc, D'anjou, or Bartlett pears - they will all work.

Poached pears are quick to make, but need to chill for several hours. I made them the night before and left them in the fridge until dinner the next day.

For two. Double the ingredients and buy one pear per person to serve more lucky people.

• 2 pears, slightly underripe
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves

With a vegetable peeler, peel the pears, leaving the stems on. Drop the peeled pears into a bowl of cold water with a little lemon juice in it until you are ready to cook them. This keeps them from darkening.

In a deep pot that's just large enough to hold both pears comfortably, bring the water, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon rind to a boil. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and the pears. Cover the pot and keep it at a rolling boil so the pears keep moving a bit as they cook. Cook until the pears are tender (test with the tip of a paring knife), which should be about 25 minutes.

Take the pears carefully out of the syrup with a large spoon and stand them up in a dish with sides. If you have to cut a small slice off the bottom to make them stand, do so. They are very soft and will flatten if they lie down. Pour a little of the syrup over the pears and chill them, covered with plastic wrap, for several hours or overnight.

Serve in small bowls with a little of the syrup and a scoop of good ice cream. I served it with salted caramel ice cream and it was scrumptious. Buon appetito!