Ingredients

• 750ml/1â…“ pints pear cider
• 175g/6oz golden caster sugar
• 2½cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1 small red birds'-eye chilli
• 10 cardamom pods
• 1 vanilla pod
• split in half
• seeds scraped out using a knife
• 4 firm Williams or Comice pears
• peeled
• stalks intact
• 300ml/10½fl oz whipping cream
• 1 tsp sea salt crystals

Directions

• For the poached pears
• find a saucepan large enough to fit the four pears snugly.
• Add the cider
• sugar
• ginger
• cloves
• cinnamon stick
• chilli and cardamom to the pan and bring to the boil
• then remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the vanilla pod
• vanilla seeds and pears to the pan
• making sure the liquid covers the pears completely.
• Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper a little larger than the diameter of the pan. Place the circle over the pears
• pressing it down so that it fits inside the pan.
• Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 35-45 minutes
• or until the pears are just tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool
• then chill the pears
• in their syrup
• in the fridge
• overnight if possible (they will keep for 1-2 days).
• When ready to serve the pears
• strain 200ml/7fl oz of the cooled syrup into a pan (discard the collected vanilla pod
• cardamom pods
• ginger and cinnamon stick).
• Bring the syrup to the boil
• reduce the heat until it is simmering and continue to simmer until the liquid has thickened to a gloopy syrup and reduced in volume by half.
• Whisk in the whipping cream and cook to heat for a further 1-2 minutes. Just before serving
• sprinkle over the salt crystals.
• To serve
• carefully remove the pears from the remaining syrup. Slice the bottom off each pear so that each can be stood upright on a plate. Spoon over a tablespoon of the remaining poaching syrup. Drizzle over the salted caramel sauce.