Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate

📝 Ingredients

• 4 ripe but firm pears (Conference or Williams)
• 1 L water
• 50 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 lemon
• 80 g dark chocolate, 70 %
• 80 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 20 g flaked almonds

🍴 Utensils

• Tall saucepan
• Small saucepan
• Frying pan
• Peeler
• Teaspoon
• Baking paper

📖 Steps

1. In a saucepan tall enough for the pears to stand upright, add the water, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, peel the pears with the vegetable peeler, keeping the stalks on, then scoop out the core from underneath with the teaspoon. Cut a thin slice off the base so they stand upright and rub them with the lemon half so they don't discolour.
3. Squeeze the lemon half into the syrup and stand the pears in it. They should be almost covered; if not, add a little water. Place a circle of baking paper directly on the syrup so they stay submerged and cook evenly.
4. Poach for 20 minutes over a low heat, at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, or the pears will fall apart. Check with the tip of a knife: it should slide into the centre without resistance. Depending on how ripe the fruit is, allow 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool slightly in the syrup for at least 15 minutes: they soak up the flavour of the vanilla and cinnamon and stay lovely and soft.
6. Toast the flaked almonds in the dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Tip them straight onto a plate to stop them cooking.
7. Chocolate sauce: heat the milk in the small saucepan until it just starts to simmer, remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into pieces. Wait 1 minute, then stir gently until you have a smooth, glossy sauce.
8. Drain the pears and place them in shallow bowls with 1 tbsp syrup each. Coat them with the warm chocolate sauce, scatter over the toasted almonds and serve warm or cold.