Poires Belle Hélène is a traditional French dessert of poached pears, served with a rich, warm chocolate sauce and creamy vanilla icecream.
The pears are often poached in a simple liquid of water and sugar, infused with vanilla. In my version, I've opted to include half white wine and half water, which is sometimes used to create a more flavourful cooking liquid.
As well as a vanilla pod, I like to add a cinnamon stick and some orange or lemon zest, but if you want to keep it simple, then these can be ommitted.
The chocolate sauce is just dark chocolate and cream, which I've sweetened with a little golden syrup. It's delicious spooned over the pears - such a great combination.
Serves 4
For the poached pears
4 large firm conference pears
Lemon and/or orange zest
1 vanilla pod or a splash of vanilla essence
200g golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
600ml white wine
600ml cold water
For the chocolate sauce
150g dark cooking chocolate
50-100 ml double cream
2 tablespoons of poaching liquid
Golden syrup (see cooking notes)
For serving
Vanilla icecream
Toasted flaked almonds (optional)
To make the poached pears
- Slice open the vanilla pod lengthways, so the seeds can infuse the poaching liquid during cooking.
- Place all of the poaching ingredients, except the pear, in a medium sized saucepan.
- Peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact .
- Remove the pear cores with a corer or small paring knife.
- Add the pears, a pear at a time, to the poaching liquid, to avoid the pears discolouring.
- If the pears float in the liquid, then place a cartouche on top of the pears - see image 5. (To make a cartouche, draw around the pan lid on greaseproof paper and then cut out the circle. Fold it in half and cut a hole in the centre).
- Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and poach the pears for about 20-25 minutes until they are cooked. To check is the pear is cooked, pierce with a sharp knife. It should slide in and out easily when it's ready.
- Remove the pears and cover with a little of the cooking liquid. Cool.
To make the chocolate sauce
- Break or cut up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a small pan, along with 50ml of cream and 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid.
- Warm over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the sauce has formed.
- Taste and adjust - add more cream if you prefer a runnier sauce and a tablespoon of golden syrup if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
To serve
- Remove the pears from the fridge (if applicable) 1-2 hours before serving.
- Remove the pears from the poaching liquid, and stand one pear on each plate or bowl.
- Pour over the chocolate sauce.
- Add a scoop of vanilla icecream and serve.
