Baby Pears Poached in Earl Grey Tea with Greek Yogurt

When I saw some baby pears at the grocery store, I couldn't resist buying a few. This Diana Henry recipe for Pears Poached in Earl Grey seemed like a fun way to use them. This is a great light dessert if you have over-indulged over the Thanksgiving holiday, served with thick Greek yogurt and mint and orange zest scattered on top.

Diana says, "These pears end up a wonderful rich toffee color and, if you are able to leave them sitting in the reduced syrup overnight before serving, they will absorb more of the subtly smoky tea flavor. serve them with Greek Yogurt."

Pears Poached in Earl Grey
Adapted from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry
(Serves 4)

4 Earl Grey tea bags
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup raw cane sugar)
juice of 2 lemons, plus two wide strips of lemon zest 
2 wide strips of orange zest
4 pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Put three of the tea bags into a heatproof bowl with 4 cups of boiling water and let brew. Discard the tea bags and pour the tea into a saucepan wide enough to take all of the pear halves in a single layer. Add the sugar.

Stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar, then add the lemon juice, lemon and orange zests, and the pears. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat and gently cook the pears until tender. How long this takes depends on how ripe your fruit is. Keep checking, sticking the tip of a sharp knife into the flesh. Once the pears are ready, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set them in a dish where they are not touching each other, so they can cool down and stop cooking (if you pile them up on top of each other, the heat will continue to soften them).  

Remove the zest from the poaching liquid and bring it to a boil. Add the final tea bag and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1 generous cup. The syrup will thicken as it cools. Let cool completely, strain, then put the pears into a serving dish  and pour over the syrup. 

Notes/Results: The syrup has so much flavor from the tea and the combination of the sweet pears and tangy yogurt with the citrus and spice of the tea is a winner. I did reduce the sugar slightly as I don't like things too sweet. Easy to make and tastes great, I would make these again. 

I am linking this recipe up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is Potluck week. The chance to make any Diana Henry recipe or a recipe from any previous IHCC chef. You can see what everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.

Happy Aloha Friday!