A simple (cold) desert requiring a fairly long preparation
time (allow plenty of time to cool off) and an unusual ingredient:
cardamom pods. Presenting this desert on Venus shells gives
it an extra, passionate touch.
Ingredients for 4:
4 firm and ripe pears
300 ml strong Kimbo Espresso
150 g sugar
6 cardamom pods, juiced and de-seeded
juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of ground, grilled almonds
sprigs of mint for decoration
Preparation:
Peel the pears with a sharp knife, retaining
their shape. Cut off the bottoms so the pears can stand during
poaching.
Select a pan (in which the pears can stand
alongside each other).
Pour the Kimbo espresso and sugar, 75ml water,
cardamon, lemon juice and grated peel into the pan and bring
to the boil, stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves.
Add the pears, cover the pan, and leave to
simmer on a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the pears are
soft, but retain their shape. Lift the pears carefully from the
syrup and place them in a bowl.
Cook the syrup down quickly to a volume of
about 125ml.
Leave to cool, pour the syrup over the pears
and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
Serve the pears with the syrup and the almonds
sprinkled on top in a large Venus shell decorated with a sprig
of mint. You can also serve this desert with whipped cream or
vanilla yoghurt.
