Poached pears or apples

By LaurieGerber

Julia Child - vanilla poached pears or apples for use as-is (with creme anglaise or glazed) or in the custard tart.

Ingredients

• 1 quart water or 1 pt water and 1 pt dry white wine
• 1.5 c sugar
• 2 lemons
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 6 firm-ripe unblemished apples or pears (granny smith, golden delicious apples or bosc pears hold shape well)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

In a 3 quarte saucepan large enough to hold the fruit in 1 layer.

1. Make syrup: Bring the liquid to a simmer with sugar. peel and add lemon zests, along with the juice of the lemons. Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir/swirl to dissolve the sugar.

2. Prepare the apples: peel and core the apples or pears (don't core pears - or just core bottom half - slice the rounded bottom off pears so they will sit upright.) Drop each one immediatly into the syrup so they don't have time to discolor.

3. Adjust syrup quantity: Syrup should cover by 1/2 inch (though fruit may float). Add water as needed (plus 6T sugar per additional cup of water.)

4. Poach and steep: Bring to just below a simer. Maintain at this level for 12-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a skewer. Let cool in the syrup for 30 minutes.

The fruit may be cooked several days in advance - keep in poaching liquid.

Serve warm or cold with poaching liquid, whipped cream or custard sauce.