feed me sweet
Poached pears with salted caramel by top chef Freek van Noortwijk (insanely delicious!)
‘Poached pears’ turns out to be one of the most searched-for terms this Christmas. Do you also feel like surprising your guests with poached pears? Then make this ama-zing dish of poached pears with salted caramel by top chef Freek van Noortwijk. You won’t believe what you’re tasting—it’s that delicious.
door Bo van Ling
Trust us, because we were lucky enough to have Freek cook this for us recently, during a Highland Park Wild Winter Barbecue in the Veluwe (which you can win, by the way!) We spooned up his salted caramel a few more times, because this is hands down the best salted caramel ever. Bet you’ll be the hero of Christmas dinner with these poached pears?
How to make poached pears with salted caramel
- Step 1: Peel the poaching pears, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Put them on the heat with the remaining ingredients, using only half of the juice and the zest of the lemon. Cook for 30–40 minutes over medium-low heat until tender, then let them cool in their own liquid.
- Step 2: Make the caramel by slowly heating the sugar in a wide saucepan. Make sure the bottom of the pan is covered with a layer of water a few millimetres deep, so you first get sugar syrup that slowly changes colour into a dark-blond caramel. Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream over low heat and make sure it is just below boiling when your caramel is ready. Carefully and slowly add the warm cream to the caramelised sugar, and whisk over low heat until the lumpy pieces of caramel have softened again. Now add the butter, knob by knob, and one or two fermented black walnuts (to taste) (if you can find them… otherwise leave them out), and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt. Don’t be shy with it: it should cut through all the sweetness, and keep in mind that the other ingredients are sweet too.
- Step 3: Put the heavy cream on the heat with all the ingredients except the gelatine and bring to the boil, then turn off the heat. Soak the gelatine in cold water for a few minutes and add it to the cream once it has been off the heat for ten minutes. Stir everything well and pour through a sieve into a shallow dish. Place in the refrigerator to set.
- Take four deep, chilled dessert plates and spoon one or two generous spoonfuls of cream onto each. Divide three to four pieces of poached pear over the cream on each plate and finish with two generous spoonfuls of lukewarm salted caramel.
Tip: this dish pairs perfectly with a glass of Highland Park whisky.
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