Tea-poached pears recipe

The British tradition of poaching pears most often involves red wine, making it quite a heady dessert best suited to winter months, but this recipe calls on another British staple—tea—and is a beautifully sweet and light end to a meal.

• 500ml boiling water
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags
• 150g sugar
• 1 orange
• Saffron, a pinch
• 4 cardamom pods
• 4 pears, peeled

To serve: whipped cream, crème fraiche or ice cream

1. Pour the boiling water into a pan, add the tea bags and let them brew for a couple of minutes until you’ve essentially made a strong cup of tea. Take out the tea bags and discard.

2. Bring the pan of the tea to a gentle simmer and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.

3. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to create a long strip of orange zest to add to the sweet tea, along with a pinch of saffron and four cardamom pods. Finally, add the pears to the poaching liquid and simmer for 15-20 minutes, dependent on the ripeness of pears. Once you’ve removed the pears, strain the liquid through a sieve and serve it in a pouring jug alongside the poached pears.

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