I have always wanted to learn how to make delicious, decadent poached pears and now I know how and so do you!! Adding the chocolate is just a tasty bonus!

Beautiful Helen Pears

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours-overnight
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

•  6½ cups cold water
• 1 vanilla pod
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 firm pears (e.g., Bartlett), peeled with stems still attached

For the cardamom chocolate sauce:

• 3½ oz dark or white chocolate, finely chopped
  7 tbsp heavy cream
  3 cardamom pods, crushed 

Directions:

Pour the water into a large pan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the grains. Add the pod and grains to the water with the sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears and place a piece of parchment paper on top to keep them submerged, then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Insert a skewer or small sharp knife to test whether the pears are tender. If not, simmer for another 5 minutes. When the pears are cooked, leave them to cool in the syrup for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight, to give them time to take on the flavor of the vanilla. (They can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.)

To make the sauce: Put the chocolate into a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil with the crushed cardamom pods and pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a minute until the chocolate has melted, remove the cardamom pods (leaving the seeds behind in the sauce), then stir the sauce gently until smooth. Do not over mix or the chocolate may split-the cocoa solids will separate from the cocoa butter. (The sauce can be made in advance and reheated very gently in the microwave.)
To serve, remove the pears from the syrup* and stand them upright on individual plates. Pour a generous helping of chocolate sauce over them.
*Tip-Serve it with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!