
Ingredients
- 6 ripen-at-home pears, peeled, cored and quartered (ripe but not too soft)
- 5 cm piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 180g medjool dates, pitted, halved or quartered if large
- 1 lemon, pared (to get a few large pieces of peel) and juiced
- 6 dollops crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp roasted chopped hazelnuts
Method
Step 1
Put the pears, sliced ginger, honey, dates, ground ginger, lemon peel and juice in a pan with 450ml water. Cut a circle of baking paper the same diameter as the pan, with a golf ball-sized hole in the middle (known as a cartouche). Place on the surface of the liquid and gently press down so the pears are submerged. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat; reduce to a simmer for 15 mins or until the pears are tender when pierced.Step 2
Leave to cool a little before serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of the hazelnuts. Keep the pears and their poaching liquid chilled in an airtight container for up to 5 days.