Hibiscus Poached Pears with rice pudding
Hibiscus poached pears are a unique dessert that tastes delicious and so simple to make. It’s a lovely way to use pears while they are in season.
Servings 2
Ingredients
To poach pears
- 2 firm pears peeled, leaving stems on
- 25 grams 1 cup hibiscus flowers
- 1 small beetroot
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 80 ml 1/3 cup honey
- 1 litre water
For chocolate coating
- 4 tablespoon melted dark chocolate
- 8 pistachios slivered
- 2 tablespoon silver balls for decoration
To make rice pudding
- 2 tablespoon rice
- 500 ml Full fat milk
- A pinch salt
- 3 tablespoon Sugar or to your taste
Instructions
To make poached pears
- Fill a large pot with water. Drop the hibiscus flowers, spices, beetroot and honey.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes, so that all the flavours from spices infuse into the water. Your Hibiscus tea is ready.
- To this add the prepared pears Make sure the pears are fully submerged in water. Poach them on low flame for about 20-25 minutes, turning the pears frequently so that it gets even colour on all sides.
- Cook the pears until tender but not too soft. The indication of a well poached pear is that it should be easily sliced & eaten with just a spoon.
- Moreover the poaching time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears.
- Switch off the heat and leave the pears to cool in the poaching liquid.
- Once cooled down, remove the pears from the liquid and place onto a plate.
- After that, strain the liquid & discard the spices and hibiscus flowers.
- Return the strained poaching liquid to the pot, simmer until reduced to thicker consistency to drizzle over poached pears. Drizzle this liquid over poached pears and set aside.
- Store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use this up as base for holiday cocktails, salad dressing or drizzle for your cheese board.
To make Indian Rice pudding
- Rinse the rice a couple of times in water and then soak in enough water for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile when the rice are soaking, take full-fat milk in a heavy bottom pan.
- Bring it to a boil and add soaked and drained rice.
- Simmer and cook rice on low heat without the lid on.
- Meanwhile continue to stir the milk rice mixture so that it should not stick to bottom of the pan. If required keep adding few spoonful of water.
- Cook the rice till they are 90% done.
- Scrape milk solids from the sides of the pan and keep adding to the kheer. Then add sugar as required.
- Simmer till the rice is almost cooked and well incorporated. The rice grains shouldn't be seen separate from the milk.
- Continue to cook on low heat till the rice kheer thickens and the rice is almost mashed.
- Turn off the flame and keep aside to cool.
For chocolate coating
- Melt the dark chocolate using double boiler method. Or microwave high for 30 seconds first and continue at the burst of 30 seconds each time till the chocolate is melted completely.
- Stir well so that no lumps remain. Now take poached pears, wipe them dry from the bottom (1/3 part) with tissue paper.
- Dip the bottom of pears in the melted chocolate. Or with the help of a spoon or brush spread the chocolate over the bottom of the pears.
- Immediately sprinkle slivered pistachios and silver balls over the chocolate.
To serve
- In a plate spread rice pudding, place poached, chocolate coated pears over it.
- Serve at room temperature or warm and some extra poaching liquid spooned on top.
Notes
1. To make this recipe I have used fresh hibiscus flowers. However you can use dried ones or hibiscus tea bags.
2. I served them on rice pudding, but if you feel like making some Vanilla Custard, that’s easy, less time consuming too.