Pears cooked in cider, sage, lemon and brown sugar

Autumn

These pears are poached gently in cider that I’ve sweetened with brown sugar and flavoured with sage and lemon. Once the pears are ready, I like to reduce the cooking liquor to make gorgeous syrup to serve alongside them. This recipe works really well if the pears aren’t quite ripe, as the cooking softens them to perfection. The longer they get in the pan, the better they end up tasting.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 pears, peeled
100g (3½oz) light brown soft sugar
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3–4 sage leaves, torn
500ml (17fl oz) medium-dry cider or perry

Method

Arrange the peeled pears as snugly as you can in the base of a smallish pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, sage and cider or perry and give the pan a little shake to settle everything in. It’s important the pears are all below the liquid level otherwise they won’t cook evenly. If you’re struggling, top up with a dash of water.

Place the pan over a medium–high heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the pears for 10–25 minutes, or until they are tender (the exact cooking time will really depend on how ripe the fruit was initially). You can tell when they’re ready, because they’ll take the tip of a knife with ease. Lift out the pears onto a plate and keep warm.

Pour the sweet, lemony liquid through a sieve into a clean pan. Place the pan on a medium–high heat and bring to the simmer, reducing the sauce until it begins to thicken (I’d say you’re reducing by about two-thirds).

Serve the pears trickled with the warm cider sauce, and some ice cream or whipped cream.

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