Saffron and honey pears

Method

1. Steep the saffron stands in the boiling water for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel the zest from the lemon and orange in thin strips using a swivel vegetable peeler.

3. Squeeze the juice from the lemon.

4. Place the orange and lemon zest in a large saucepan with the caster sugar and water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the saffron strands with their soaking water and the honey.

6. Peel the pears with a swivel vegetable peeler. Using the end of the peeler or the tip of a small sharp knife, remove the core from the base. Leave the stalks in place for decoration.

7. Add the pears to the saffron honey syrup and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pears with a wetted, crumpled sheet of greaseproof paper to hold them under the syrup, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes, turning the pears occasionally, until tender.

8. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and place in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid (ideally a Kilner-type jar).

9. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes to thicken slightly and pour over the pears. Leave until quite cold before serving.

Cook's Notes:
If you wish to make this a vegan dish omit the crème brulee/mascarpone and replace the honey with maple syrup.

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Ingredients

Main:

2 good pinches of saffron strands
2 tbsp boiling water
1 lemon
1 orange
300g caster sugar
500ml water
6 tbsp clear honey
8 Comice pears, slightly under-ripe

To serve:

Home-made crème brulee or a fifty-fifty mixture of marscapone to whipped double cream, sweetened with vanilla sugar

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