Poached pear “en Robe de chambre”

Ingredients:

6 small pears, slightly firm, stem attached
200 ml sweet dessert wine
300 ml water
50 gr sugar
1 square of puff pastry
1 egg yolk beaten with a splash of milk
1 lemon slice
1 cinnamon stick, cracked
1 star anise, crushed
2 cardamon pod, crushed

1.     Peel the pears and cut the bottom flat to ensure it can stand up.

2.     In a small pot, add the dessert wine, sugar, water, spices and lemons.  Place the pears upright into the liquid, ensuring that they are submerged at least half way. 

3.     With a lid on, simmer the pears gently until they are tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy.

4.     Remove the pears from the liquid and chill completely. Save the poaching liquid for a sorbet or another poaching use.

5.     Roll out the thawed puff pastry in to a thin, rectangular sheet and cut with a knife or pizza cutter into strips 1 inch in diameter.

6.     Starting at the bottom of the pear, wrap the strip up the pear; ensure an overlap with the previous edge.

7.     Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the puff pastry with the egg mixture.

8.     Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.