Butterscotch pears with aniseed praline
“The apple meets its match for versatility and taste.”
For the praline
- 140g sugar
- 30ml water
- 30ml light corn syrup
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp aniseed
For the pears
- 200g sugar
- 60g unsalted butter
- 6 pears (josephine, bosc or comice), peeled
- 8 tbsp water
Pears and apples can be successfully interchanged in dishes. Apple and roast pork is a classic combination but try slicing and roasting crisp, firm-fleshed pears as an alternative and sprinkling with your favourite vinegar. Another classic combination is a not-too-ripe Packham or Williams pear and aged parmesan.
Williams and Packham make up the lion's share of varieties grown in Australia. They can be eaten fresh, used in salads and even baked if not too ripe. The russet-and yellow-skinned Bosc is a little more versatile. It's a good pear to poach in either white or red wine with a little cinnamon, star anise or even peppercorns.
The season for pears is here so it's well worth harassing your fruiterer about the lesser known varieties. Winter Neils are a small, super-sweet variety, good for poaching whole and preserving. The Josephine has great flavour and can be either eaten fresh or cooked. My favourite of all is the rarely seen and late maturing Comice. Enjoy this one as a fresh piece of fruit.
Method
For the praline
In a saucepan combine sugar, water, corn syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is a light caramel colour. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in baking powder, salt and aniseed. With a buttered spatula, spread the mixture quickly onto a non-stick baking sheet. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container between sheets of greaseproof paper. Grind as needed in a mortar or food processor.
For the pears
Preheat oven to 170C. Place sugar in an ovenproof saucepan wide enough to hold the pears. On a moderate heat, cook sugar to a caramel colour but not too dark. Carefully add butter and whisk. Add pears and lightly cook in the butterscotch, constantly turning, for 2-3 minutes. Add water and spoon liquid over pears until well basted. Transfer pan to oven and bake until tender (about 15-25 minutes depending on size). Baste every 5 minutes. They are done when a sharp knife easily pierces the pear.
Serve warm or at room temperature with some cooking liquid and ground praline.
Serves 6
