Take plunge, poach with tea

Earl Grey tea and brandy poached pears

Tea makes a lovely poaching liquid for fresh or dried fruit. It provides a potpourri of flavor options, including the warm, aromatic spiciness of chai, the heady floral essence of jasmine and the smoky intensity of Lapsang souchong, to name a few. The tannic acidity of tea also adds a flavonoid-rich, sweet-balancing complexity to fruit dishes. And you reap all that for the little effort it takes to brew some.

In the accompanying recipe, Earl Grey tea, with its citrusy floral notes and black-tea depth of flavor, is used as the poaching liquid for sweet, firm ripe pears. The tea is brewed for five minutes (much longer than that and you wind up with too much bitterness) then spiked hot toddy-style with honey and a splash of brandy.

The pears are poached whole, so they have a commanding presence on the plate, but that means you have to turn them a few times in the pot so they cook evenly. The poaching liquid is simmered until it becomes a luscious syrup. That quick step evaporates the majority of the alcohol, so another boost of brandy is added at the end.

With some time to chill in the refrigerator, the flavors meld and mellow, the syrup thickens further, and an elegant dessert awaits. Prep: 20 minutes, plus chilling time 45 minutes 4 servings cups water Earl Grey tea bags cup honey whole cloves tablespoons brandy medium firm-ripe pears Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep, 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Add the honey, cloves and 3 tablespoons of the brandy. Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving them whole, with their stems intact if possible. Slice inch off the bottom of each pear so they will be able to stand upright. Lay the pears on their sides in the poaching liquid in the saucepan; return to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until pears have softened yet still retain their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. (Turn the pears two or three times as they cook.) Transfer the pears to a serving dish, standing upright. Discard the cloves; cook the poaching liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to about cup of a thin syrup, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the remaining tablespoon of brandy. Pour syrup over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days. Serve chilled, with the syrup.

240 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 52 g carbohydrates, 42 g sugar, 0 g protein, 0 mg sodium, 6 g fiber