Tequila-Poached Pears with Chili-Chocolate Sauce
25
- Prep Time15 min
- Total Time45 min
- Makes4 servings
Produced by Stephanie Han Kim; Photography by Christie Vuong; Food Styling by Matthew Kimura; Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon.
Spoonably soft fruit and a velvety chocolate sauce get spiked with tequila and cayenne. Poach pears ahead of time for a quick dessert or skip the sauce and use a drinking chocolate mix instead, which is thicker than typical hot chocolate. Soma and ChocoSol make great Canadian options. —Chantal Braganza
Ingredients
2 cups water
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup white tequila
1 cinnamon stick
2 strips orange peel
2 whole cloves
2 firm Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
Chocolate Sauce
1/2 cup 36% cream
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crushed pecans, optional
Instructions
Combine first six ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add pear halves. Cut a circular piece of parchment (slightly smaller in diameter than the saucepan) and place over pears to keep them submerged as they cook.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high, keeping at a simmer until pears are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 min. Set aside to cool.
Remove cinnamon, orange peel and cloves. Store pears and liquid together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Before serving, remove pears from liquid and arrange in serving dishes. Boil liquid, reducing until about 1 ½ cups remain, 8 to 10 min. Remove from heat and whisk in cream, cocoa powder and cayenne. Slowly stir in chocolate chips, letting residual heat melt chocolate into a sauce. Set aside until slightly thickened, 5 min. Spoon sauce over pears; garnish with pecans if desired.
Kitchen tip
For a prettier presentation, slice a piece off the bottom of the pear halves to stand each upright.
