Tea Recipe: Minted Poached Pears

Tea recipes: Minted Poached Pears

At Cérémonie Tea we were privileged to have a very close relationship with food historian Gil Marks. Before "Uncle Gil's" passing, he shared with us much of his fountain of knowledge on a variety of subjects relating to tea; history, culture, & recipes. We are looking forward to share with you some of his gems in some upcoming blog posts.

Here is a sweet recipe from Uncle Gil.

Minted Poached Pears

(6 to 8 servings) Poached pears are a common dessert throughout the European side of the Mediterranean. It is a perfect way to use underripe pears. This is interesting when served with slices of Parmesan cheese.

3 cups (720 ml) water

¾ cup (180 ml) sugar or honey

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice or 2 or 3 large slices lemon or orange rind

1 Cérémonie's Moroccan Mint- tea bag

6 to 8 firm pears with stems attached, peeled

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and tea bag.

2. Cut off a small slice from the bottom of each pear. Leaving the pears whole, scoop out the core (a melon baller works well). Place in the water mixture.

3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, but not mushy (10 to 30 minutes depending on the size and variety of the pears).

4. Remove the pears and strain the poaching liquid over them. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. Serve the pears in the cooking liquid.