Poached Pears with Saffron Broth
4
servings
Dessert
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
4 c
pear nectar
Zest of 1 lemon, in long pieces
4
inches peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tbsp
maple syrup
Generous pinch of saffron (12 to 15 threads)
2
ripe but firm pears, preferably Bosc of Comice, peeled, cut in half, seeded, and stemmed
Salt (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)
Cashew cream
Cashew Cream
2 c
raw cashews
2 c
water
2 tsp
freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice
½ tsp
sea salt
⅛ tsp
freshly ground nutmeg
Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson team up to supply an impressive array of recipes loaded with health benefits in The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, Second Edition.
I call this “company food”—as in, what can I make for company that’s easy but impressive? Poaching a pear sounds fancy, but all you’re doing is simmering it in a fruity broth. The poaching softens up the pear, making it a breeze to chew and digest. The saffron broth turns the pears a beautiful sunset yellow color. If you’re looking for extra calories, top with a generous dollop of nut cream
Directions
- Stir the pear nectar, lemon zest, ginger, maple syrup, and saffron together in a large saucepan or 3-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Place the pear halves in the saucepan, flat side down. Place a piece of parchment paper over the pears and cover with a small plate to weight the pears down as they simmer. Lower the heat and simmer until the pears are tender and a knife pierces them all the way through without resistance.
- Remove the pears from the saucepan. Return the liquid to the heat, bring to a lively simmer, and cook until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Taste the liquid; it may need a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to balance the flavors.
- Serve the pears drizzled with the poaching liquid and topped with a dollop of nut cream if you like.
Cashew Cream
- Grind the cashews in a mini food processor or nut grinder to give them a head start in the blender. (If you have a Vitamix, you can skip this step.) Put the water in a blender, then add the lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, and cashews and blend until creamy smooth. This takes several minutes, but your taste buds will reap the rewards of your patience.
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen 2nd Edition, copyright by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
