Poaching Syrup
For Pears or Apples
This is the poaching syrup I use for pears and apples in pastry desserts. The honey adds another layer of sweetness, while cinnamon, star anise, and vanilla gently perfume the fruit without overpowering its natural flavor.
For pears, I cut them in half and rub them with fresh lemon before placing them in the syrup. The lemon helps keep the cut fruit looking fresh while also adding a little acidity to balance the sweetness.
Ingredients
1 liter water
400g granulated sugar
50g honey
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
½ tsp vanilla powder
1 Orange/lemon zest
5 pears or apple
1 lemon
Alternatively: apples may be poached in the same syrup.
Method
Place the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, star anise, and vanilla powder in a saucepan large enough to hold the fruit.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar and honey have dissolved.
Peel the pears and cut them in half.
Cut the lemon and rub it over the surface of each pear half as you work.
Place the prepared pears into the poaching syrup.
Reduce the heat and gently poach the fruit until tender.
Test with the tip of a small knife. It should enter the pear easily, but the fruit should still be firm enough to handle, slice, and arrange on a tart.
Remove from the heat and allow the pears to cool.
For Pear Bourdaloue
Once cooled, drain the poached pear halves very well before using them in the tart.
Slice each half thinly while keeping the original pear shape intact. This makes it easy to transfer the pear onto the Bourdaloue cream and gently fan the slices before baking.
Spiced Poached Pears
Bring the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon, star anise, and vanilla to a gentle boil until the sugar has dissolved.
Peel and halve the pears. Rub the cut and peeled surfaces with lemon, then place the pears into the hot syrup. Make sure the fruit is submerged and swimming freely in the syrup.
Reduce the heat and gently poach for approximately 20–30 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
I prefer my pears still slightly firm, especially when I am using them for a tart. A riper pear will require less cooking time, while a firmer pear may need closer to the full 30 minutes.
Test the pear with the tip of a small knife. The knife should enter without much resistance, but the pear should still feel firm enough to hold its shape.
Remove from the heat and allow the fruit to cool in the syrup.
Confidence Note
Don't poach by the clock alone. The ripeness of the fruit determines the cooking time.
For my Bourdaloue tart, I intentionally stop cooking the pears while they are still firm. They need to withstand draining, slicing, arranging, and another trip through a 350°F oven with the tart.
