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Simple and elegant, roasted pears are the perfect finishing touch to a mealso add this recipe from author and Beaucoup Bakery founder Jackie Kai Ellis to your roster.
Traditionally, a poire belle-Hélène is a poached pear served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I really love when fruits are roasted, caramelized on the edges and even a little warm when served with ice cream. You can use whatever pears you find at the market as they won’t be overly ripe, though anjou and bosc pears are traditional for cooking and hold their shape well.
For the chocolate sauce
3 tbsp water
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup whole milk
Pinch sea salt
100 g dark chocolate, Valrhona if possible
30 g milk chocolate, Valrhona if possible
For roasted pears
2 pears, cut into quarters and cored
4 tbsp salted butter, melted
1 vanilla bean, scraped
For finishing
1 pint good vanilla ice cream
8 walnuts, roasted and broken into pieces
Pinch of Maldon sea salt
Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.
In a medium saucepan, heat water, cream, milk and salt until just under a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate into the cream mixture, letting it sit for a minute to melt. Using a spatula, slowly mix chocolate into the milk until smooth and shiny. Set aside.
In a bowl, toss pears, butter and vanilla bean seeds until evenly coated. Place pears onto the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges of the pears brown a little. They don’t necessarily need to be cooked through, as a ripe juicy inside also tastes delicious.
To assemble, place two pear quarters into a bowl and add two small balls of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and top with nuts. Serves 4.
Originally published October 2020
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