Conference pears take on a jewel-bright crimson hue and a tart, berry-like flavour when poached in an infusion of dried hibiscus flowers, according to a recipe published by The Guardian.
Preparation for the dessert takes 10 minutes, with a 15-minute infusion time, one hour and 20 minutes of cooking, and a chilling time of at least four hours. The recipe serves six people.
The poached fruit requires 20g of dried hibiscus flowers sourced from Middle Eastern grocers or online retailers. Cooks also need three firm-but-ripe conference pears, 150g of caster sugar, two wide strips of lemon peel, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and a pinch of fine sea salt.
The process begins by bringing the hibiscus and 600ml of water to a boil in a medium sauté pan or wide saucepan. The heat is then turned off, and the pan is covered to let the mixture infuse for 15 minutes before being strained through a fine sieve.
The accompanying rice pudding uses 120g of short-grain rice, such as arborio or sushi, combined with 900ml of whole milk. Additional ingredients include six to eight lightly bashed green cardamom pods, four wide strips of lemon peel, two fresh bay leaves, and half a vanilla pod with scraped seeds.
The mixture also requires a quarter of a teaspoon of fine sea salt, 60g of caster sugar, 70ml of double cream with extra for serving, and 25g of shelled, toasted, and roughly chopped pistachios to finish the dish.
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