Title: Spiced Poached Pears with Honey Caramel Sauce - Gourmet
Categories: Dessert Pear Fruit
Yield: 2 Servings

FOR POACHING PEARS
1 1/2	c	Dry white wine
1/2	c	Sugar
1/2	c	;water
1/4	c	Fresh lemon juice
		Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4		Vanilla bean; split lengthwise
2		Ripe Comice pears
FOR SPICE MIXTURE
1		1-inch cinnamon stick
1/2		Star anise
2		Whole cloves
1	ts	Black peppercorns -----------
1/4	c	Honey
1/2		Stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2	c	Heavy cream
2		Scoops vanilla ice cream

Poach pears:

In a saucepan combine all poaching ingredients except pears, scraping seeds from vanilla bean into mixture and reserving pod for another use, and bring mixture to a simmer.

Peel, quarter, and core pears and simmer in poaching liquid 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain and boil poaching liquid until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Gently pat pears dry with paper towels and transfer to a plate. Make spice mixture while poaching liquid is reducing:

In a cleaner electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle grind spice mixture ingredients fine and sprinkle on pears, pressing gently with fingers to adhere.

In a heavy 10-inch skillet heat honey and butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to turn color. Add pears, tossing once gently to coat with honey mixture, and with a slotted spoon transfer to plate.

Add cream to honey mixture and simmer until thick and caramel-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour poaching liquid through a fine sieve into sauce in skillet and simmer 3 minutes to thicken slightly.

Divide sauce between two plates and arrange pears and ice cream over sauce. Serves 2.

From Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (Calif), in October, 1996 "Gourmet". Typos by Jeff Pruett.

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