Poires Belle Hélène (poached pears with chocolate sauce)

• serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped
1 litre water
200 g caster sugar
4 williams pears
½ lemon
150 g dark couverture chocolate (66% cocoa solids), chopped
300 g vanilla bean ice cream
1 quantity Chantilly Cream
20 g flaked almonds, toasted

Method

1. Place the vanilla seeds and pod, water and sugar in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Peel the pears, rubbing the peeled surface with the cut lemon as you go to prevent them from browning. Add the pears to the sugar syrup, cover with a piece of baking paper and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into a pear withdraws easily. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the syrup.
3. Drain the pears and reserve the syrup. Using a teaspoon and working from the base of each pear, scoop out the core and seeds and discard.
4. To make the chocolate sauce, place 150 ml of the reserved syrup in a small saucepan over low heat and bring to just below a simmer. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour over the hot syrup and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
5. To serve, divide the pears among 4 serving glasses and pour over the chocolate sauce. Place a small scoop of ice cream to the side of the pears, then pipe a little Chantilly cream into the glasses. Sprinkle the cream with flaked almonds, then serve immediately.

Notes

Easter Feast Cooking Shows
Join celebrity chef Manu Feildel on Saturday 16 April as he shows you how to create exquisite dishes to celebrate Easter with your friends and family using the freshest produce from Westfield Bondi Junction. Assisted by his fabulous host Sophie Falkiner, Manu will inspire you with his take on Easter entertaining during his live cooking show.

Easter Feast presented by Manu:

When: Saturday 16 April
Where: Fresh Food Market, Level 1, near De Costi Seafoods
Time: 2.00pm-2.40pm
Exclusive book signing: 2.40pm-3.30pm

Click here for more information for the Easter Feast Cooking Shows