A timeless indulgence, Pear Belle-Hélène: a refined dessert combining the sweetness of pear, the crunch of almonds, and the richness of melted chocolate
About this recipe
The Poire Belle Hélène is an old dessert, but it has always been one of my favorites in brasseries.
I love desserts that play on contrasts in taste. Here, the freshness of the pear contrasts with the warmth of the chocolate, while the tenderness of the poached pear pairs with the crunch of the almonds. A fascinating harmony of textures and temperatures!
Hermé offers us this recipe, with poached pears and a chocolate sauce.
Origin of the recipe
This dessert was invented by the famous chef Auguste Escoffier in homage to the operetta "La Belle Hélène" by Jacques Offenbach, which was first performed in 1864.
It is an iconic example of the refined cuisine of the time, where culinary art was often inspired by culture and the arts.
Source of the recipe
A recipe by a French Pastry star, Pierre Hermé, found in his book "Le Larousse des desserts"
To purchase the book online:
The recipe is on page 326
Modifications to the original recipe
I modified only a few things...
● I am using more syrup (almost double).
1. Peel the Pears (4), keeping the stems intact
2. For the syrup, simply bring the Sugar (1 ⅓ Cup or 300 g) and the Water (2 ⅔ Cups or 600 g) to a boil in a saucepan.
Scanpan Saucepan
Calphalon Nonstick Sauce Pan
3. Lower the heat and immerse the Pears (4)
4. Cooking time depends on your pears. If they are already tender when immersed, it will take less time. In my case, the pears were quite firm, so I had to cook them for 45 minutes. To check if the pears are poached, pierce them with a thin knife
5. Once poached, the pears should be placed on a rack to cool, then refrigerated
Round Cooling Rack
Nonstick Cooling Rack
The sauce
6. For the sauce, boil the Water (3 Tablespoons or 40 g) and pour it over the Dark Chocolate ( 3 oz or 80 g)
7. Add the Sugar (1 Tablespoon or 20 g) and stir
8. Pour the Cream (3 Tablespoons or 40 g) and stir
9. When plating, cut the base of the pear (so it stands upright on the plate).
10. Drizzle the pears with the warm sauce
11. Add Sliced Almonds and a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream
That's it!
