Cooking with Xianyitang dried ingredients
Dried hibiscus gives whole pears a ruby colour, with star anise and citrus adding warm aromas to the sweet-tart poaching syrup. Firm Conference pears hold their shape well, making a dessert that can be prepared ahead for guests.
Times are approximate and depend on the pears’ size and ripeness. Allow for prompt cooling and at least 2 hours of chilling after cooking: about 3–4 hours in total, or prepare the day before.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Wash and peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Remove the cores carefully from underneath with a small spoon or melon baller, keeping each pear whole; shave a very thin slice from the base so it can stand. Do not cut towards a hand supporting the pear. Briefly rinse the hibiscus and star anise in a fine sieve and drain, without pre-soaking. Wash the unwaxed citrus and remove thin strips of peel with little bitter white pith.
Choose a deep pan about 18–20 cm wide that holds four pears snugly in one layer, laying them on their sides if needed. Add the hibiscus, star anise, citrus peel, sugar, 200 ml rosé and 600 ml water. Bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Lower in the pears, adding fresh water to cover the flesh as well as possible. You will usually need 600–900 ml water in total, but add a little more if the pan requires it. The pears may float; cover the liquid surface with a fitted disc of food-grade baking parchment. Keep edges inside the pan and away from flames; do not use waxed paper.
Keep the liquid at a very gentle simmer and poach for about 25–40 minutes. Turn the pears gently once or twice for even colour. They are ready when a small knife enters the thickest flesh with little resistance while the fruit still holds its shape; firmer or larger pears need longer. Red colour alone does not show tenderness. Remove the parchment carefully, keeping clear of steam.
Carefully transfer the pears to one or more shallow food-safe containers in a single layer, laying them on their sides if needed without crushing them. Fine-strain the syrup to remove hibiscus, star anise and peel, then pour it over the pears. Stand the container in a cold-water or ice-water bath to cool faster without letting bath water enter. Refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours of cooking, then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning once with a clean spoon if needed for even colour. Do not leave a whole pot on the counter until completely cold or overnight. Serve one pear each with a little strained syrup using clean utensils; do not eat the stem.
Rosé wine usually contains sulphites; check the bottle and other ingredient labels. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Cool the pears in their strained syrup promptly, then cover and refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours. Serve chilled straight from the fridge, taking out only the portions needed. If you prefer them warm, gently reheat just those portions once until hot throughout.
