Chocolate Poached Pears with Mastiha and Orange
This dessert is sure to inspire awe. The chocolate and Mastiha are an intoxicating, almost addictive match and the dessert is so lovely to look at.
Ingredients
- 6 large Bartlett or other pears peeled and bottoms cut off (try to use pears with stems)
- 2 oranges peeled and juiced
- 3 cups Samos moschato sweet wine, or other sweet white dessert wine
- 1 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3-4 allspice berries whole
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- For the Chocolate
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1 tsp. Mastiha powder
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Petimezi or Maple Syrup
Instructions
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In medium pot; bring the wine, water, orange peels and juice, spices, herbs and sugar to a boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pears and place a plate over them in the pot to keep them submerged. Simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
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Keep the pears submerged in the poaching liquid until ready to serve.
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Add chocolate and Mastiha powder to a double boiler, over hot (not boiling) water and melt chocolate. Remove from heat, stir in the olive oil, petimezi or maple syrup and mastiha powder and whisk until smooth.
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Serve pears on a platter or individual plates, drizzled with the chocolate-mastiha sauce.
