Those pears are so tasty and the saffron and cardamom sauce is an incredible delight! I’m absolutely mad about this! Quick and easy to prepare, for a very festive dessert.
Start by peeling pears. Keep them whole leaving the tail on for individual presentations, or cut quarters and remove pits.
Place pears in a saucepan, cover with white wine (possibly add a little bit of water if necessary). Add sugar and spices (saffron and cardamom seeds previously crushed with the flat part of a knife so that the inside small seeds can come out while poaching).
Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your pears, and if you have them whole or cut, ripe or firm. This is why it’s hard to give you a precise cooking time. Stop the fire and ideally let cool down, the pears will continue to cook a little bit.
Remove the pears and bring again to the boil for a few minutes to reduce the remaining juice to 2/3 until you get a syrupy consistency.
Serve chilled.
Notes
The main steps: Peel pears and poach them in white wine with sugar and spices. Remove pears and reduce the remaining juice.