Novellum Languedoc-roussillon, France Recipe

Prepare pears: Peel each pear, leaving the stem intact if possible. Trim the bottom so pears sit upright. If pears are large, halve from top to bottom and core with a melon baller; otherwise leave whole.

Make poaching liquid: In a wide saucepan or shallow pot large enough to hold the pears in a single layer, combine the white wine (750 ml), water (250 ml), granulated sugar (150 g), honey (1 tbs), lemon and orange zests, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and split vanilla pod. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves — do not boil vigorously.

Poach pears: Add the prepared pears to the simmering liquid. The liquid should barely cover the pears; if necessary add a touch more water or wine. Reduce heat so the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Cover partially and poach until pears are tender when pierced with a knife, about 18–28 minutes depending on size and ripeness. Turn pears every 5–7 minutes so they poach evenly and gain even color from the liquid.

Test and cool pears: Test doneness by inserting a paring knife into the center — it should meet little resistance but the pear should hold shape. Remove the pot from heat and allow pears to cool in the syrup to room temperature (about 30–45 minutes) to absorb flavor. Transfer pears to a plate and reserve the poaching liquid.

Concentrate syrup (optional): Strain the reserved poaching liquid into a small saucepan, discard solids (zest, spices, vanilla pod). Bring syrup to a brisk simmer over medium heat and reduce until slightly thickened and syrupy, about 8–12 minutes, approximately 100–150 ml remaining. Taste and adjust sweetness with a little more honey if desired. Cool slightly before serving.

Preheat oven and prepare: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make crumble: In a medium bowl, combine flour (75 g), chopped ground almonds (50 g), light brown sugar (40 g) and salt (0.25 tsp). Add the cold cubed butter (50 g) and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Bake crumble: Spread the crumble mixture in an even layer on the prepared sheet. Bake for 12–16 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and crisp. Keep an eye to prevent burning. Remove from oven and cool completely on the sheet — it will crisp up as it cools.

Prepare cream: If using Greek yogurt, whisk the yogurt or crème fraîche (200 g) with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice until smooth and slightly loosened; taste and add a pinch of sugar if desired.

Warm pears (optional): If you prefer warm pears, gently rewarm the pears in some of the reserved syrup for 2–3 minutes in a saucepan over low heat. Otherwise serve at room temperature.

Plate: Spoon 2–3 tbs of the lemony yogurt or crème fraîche in the center of each serving plate. Place one poached pear (whole or halved) on top or leaning against the cream. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the reduced poaching syrup over the pear.

Finish: Scatter a generous pinch of almond crumble around the pear and over the yogurt. Sprinkle toasted almond flakes (30 g) for extra crunch and garnish with 1–2 fresh mint leaves per plate. Drizzle any remaining syrup to taste.

Serve: Serve immediately if warm, or chill for up to 2 hours and serve cool. Leftover pears keep refrigerated in their syrup for up to 3 days.