Pears Charcot -

Pears Charcot

Ingredients

4 ripe dessert pears
4 pint water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam
½ lb quince jam

For vanilla cream

¾ pint milk
1 vanilla pod, or 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons caster sugar
½ oz gelatine (softened in 5 tablespoons water)
¼ pint double cream (lightly whipped)

Deep 5-6 inch diameter cake tin, or soufflé dish (No 2 size), or 8-inch diameter sandwich tin

Method

Lightly oil the tin or soufflé dish. Put the water, sugar and lemon juice in a pan over gentle heat. When the sugar has dissolved, boil for 3 minutes. Meanwhile peel the pears, cut in half, scoop out the core with a teaspoon and immediately place pear halves, rounded side down, in the hot syrup. Cover the pan and poach pears carefully for 15-20 minutes; leave them to cool in the pan.

To make vanilla cream: heat the milk to scalding point with the vanilla pod (or vanilla essence), cover pan and leave milk to infuse until it is well flavoured. Cream egg yolks thoroughly with the sugar, and add the milk (first taking out the vanilla pod); blend liquid well, return it to the pan and stir over gentle heat until the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon, then strain and leave it to cool.

Melt the gelatine mixture over gentle heat, and add it to the custard. Tip the custard into a thin saucepan and stand this in a bowl of cold water (for quickness, add a little ice to water). Stir until custard begins to thicken creamily, then fold in half the whipped cream.

Turn the mixture into prepared tin or soufflé dish and leave to set (about 2 hours). Lift the pears out of the syrup and keep on one side; add the jams to the syrup in the pan, melt slowly and then boil for 2-3 minutes. Allow syrup sauce to cool.

Turn the vanilla cream on to a serving dish and decorate with the remaining cream. Arrange the pears round the cream and coat them with the sauce.

Related food category:

• Fresh Fruit Dessert