Poached pears are always an elegant dessert option, but Masala Chai poached pears with creme Anglaise make an even more impressive dessert without too much preparation and effort. They make the perfect fall dessert, and even more so because of the chai spices infused in them.

Poached pear over syrup

What is Poaching?

If you're not familiar with the term, poaching means to cook slowly in a large volume of simmering liquid. It is a gentle way of cooking, and it will soften fruits and give them a shiny, almost translucent appearance. Normally, sugar is used when poaching fruits, and it penetrates the fruit and keeps it firm during and after cooking.

You can use many different types of liquids for poaching besides water, like wine, fruit juice, and tea! We created this recipe by choosing to poach pears in Masala Chai, which will make them absorb the warm, sweet flavors of the tea.

What is Creme Anglaise?

It is a runny vanilla custard, ideal for pouring over desserts. It is not to be confused with pastry cream, which is much thicker. The Masala Chai spice flavors work perfectly well with vanilla custard, making the addition of creme Anglaise a decadent finish.

How to make Masala Chai Poached Pears

When poaching pears, you need to make sure that enough poaching liquid is prepared to fully immerse them. If the pears don't have enough liquid, you will have to turn and flip the fruit every 5 to 10 minutes to ensure they poach evenly on all sides.

Three pears

The Masala Chai liquid base needs to be prepared before adding the pears. In a large saucepan, combine the water, tea leaves, and sugar. Bring water to a simmer and let the tea steep for 5-7 minutes. strain the leaves and continue to add the pears into the poaching liquid, or tea. Don't leave the tea while poaching the pears because oversteeping it might cause the liquid to become bitter.

To poach pears, you'll have to peel them making sure that the peeling is even. You can use whole pears or half-cored pears if you don't have a large enough pot or enough poaching liquid. Immerse them in the poaching liquid, which in this case is an already steeped tea, and let them simmer for about 20 minutes if they are halved or 30-45 if they are whole, or until they are tender, but not falling apart (insert a fork to check firmness). If you see that the poaching liquid is evaporating too much, cover the pot to avoid it from evaporating.

Once the pears are tender, strain them, and then keep heating the liquid until it has reduced in almost half to make a Masala chai syrup to serve with the poached pears.

Recipes notes/Tips/FAQs

What is the Best Pear Type to Use?

Barlett, Bosc or Anjou. Although Bosc pears are sweeter and more flavorful earlier in the ripening process than other pear varieties.

What's the Best Way to Peel the Pears?

Be careful when peeling to keep the pears looking even and unbruised. Use a vegetable peeler to work in long, even strokes. You can remove the stems or choose to keep them for a nice presentation.

How Do you Store Them?

You can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To serve warm, you can microwave or return the pear and syrup to a pot and reheat.

Can I Use Other Tea Flavors to Poach Pears?

Absolutely, other teas that might work great to poach pears are:

Other great ways to enjoy these Chai poached pears are diced on top of yogurt and granola, served with vanilla ice cream, and over warm oatmeal. You can even add them to salads!

Chai poached pears can be accompanied with oatmeal

Masala Chai Poached Pears with Creme Anglaise

These Masala Chai poached pears are delicate yet full of flavor!
Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Poached Pears

  • 750 ml water
  • 6-8 tbsp Masala Chai loose leaf tea
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup orange juice

Creme Anglaise

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

For the Poached Pears

  • In a large saucepan, combine the water, tea leaves, sugar and honey. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the water has reached a simmering point. Count 5 minutes from when it starts to simmer and remove from heat. Strain the tea leaves and return the steeped tea to the pot.
  • Peel the pears carefully and decide to leave them whole or halved and cored.
  • Place the orange juice and the pears in the steeped tea and simmer, uncovered until tender (test with the tip of a sharp knife). The timing will depend on the size and ripeness of the pears, between 20-35 minutes. If the liquid starts to evaporate too much, you can cover the saucepan.
  • Transfer the pears to a shallow dish or bowl. Continue cooking the steeped tea syrup until it has been reduced by half. Let cool, then pour over the pears. Leave the pears in the liquid for at least 3 hours before serving so they can continue to absorb flavor. During this time, prepare the creme anglaise.

For the Creme Anglaise

  • Fill a large bowl with plenty of ice, and set aside. Find a smaller bowl that can hold finished cream.
  • Beat the egg yolks with a whisk or mixer for 1-2 minutes, until they're smooth.
  • Add the sugar and keep mixing for about 2 more minutes, until the sugar is fully mixed in and the yolks have turned to a pale yellow.
  • Heat the milk in a saucepan on low heat until it is not quite simmering. Don't let the temperature raise or boil. Measure the temperature with a candy/laser thermometer until it reaches 180 F.
  • Pour 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture (away from the heat) while mixing constantly. The goal is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg mixture and not cook it at once. Pour another 1/4 cup repeating the process, mixing constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Repeat this step until you've mixed the milk and egg mixture completely.
  • Return the custard mixture to the pot and heat at low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 185 F. The custard, or creme anglaise will become thick but still pourable.
  • Remove from heat, pour into a clean smaller bowl over the ice bath (add cold water to the ice bowl) and let cool, stirring frequently. Once at room temperature, add the vanilla extract. Wait until it is fully cooled to serve.

To Serve

  • Use a bowl. Place a pear, add some syrup to cover, and pour over some creme Anglaise. Enjoy!
Keyword custard, masala chai, pears, poaching

We hope you like these Masala Chai poached pears, and if you get to make it, let us know in the comments, we'd love to hear your thoughts.