Poached pears with star anise and ginger crème anglaise

Name: Poached pears with star anise and ginger crème anglaise
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 4 pears (about 6 ounces each), preferably Anjou; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 pieces star anise; 4 pears (about 6 ounces each), preferably Anjou; ⅓ cup heavy cream; ¾ cup milk; 3 egg yolks; 1 tablespoon grated ginger (don’t bother to peel it); 1 teaspoon mace pieces or ½ teaspoon ground mace; 2 cloves; 1 vanilla bean; 1 teaspoon mace pieces or ½ teaspoon ground mace

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
40 min

Appears in

Simple to Spectacular

By Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman

Published 2000

About

Poached pears, accompanied by a gorgeous pale yellow sauce flecked with vanilla. Asian flavors make this lovely dish a surprising one as well.

Ingredients

4 pears (about 6 ounces each), preferably Anjou
2½ cups plus

Dessert
Vegetarian
Gluten-free

Method

Peel and core the pears. Combine 2½ cups of the sugar and 5 cups water in a saucepan large enough to hold the pears; add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and mace. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Add the pears and adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles, but not too vigorously. Cook for 8 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife insert