SUNDAY SPRING LUNCH Ballymaloe's Poached Saffron Pears

Julia's iPad/Ballymaloe

Sunday was the perfect Spring day here in Zulushire and we had visiting friends for Sunday Lunch again. I see a pattern emerging here...

After a rather ambitious cooking weekend last week, I decided to go uber easy this week. It's funny how sometimes effort and enjoy-ability do not necessarily match. I literally threw this Sunday's lunch together in less than an hour, whereas last week took days of cooking and prepping.

We had a lovely local Bushman's River Trout Horseradish Pate from Jamie Oliver (I used fennel instead of chives in the recipe) with our pre-lunch drinks and then sliced Beef Fillet with a mustard sauce, baby potatoes and a rocket-fuelled salad. Classic stuff, can't go wrong and not a morsel was left over.

We did row the boat out on the puddings with a 5 Star 'Pears Poached in Saffron Syrup' from the brilliant Ballymaloe. We served them with a good vanilla bean ice cream, an oozy local La Petite France brie and some grapes.

I would hazard that the pears are one of the best things we've made in awhile. Easy. Sexy. Delicious.

Pears Poached in Saffron Syrup

200g white sugar
425ml water
6+ whole cardamon pods, crushed
1/2 tsp saffron threads
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 firm pears

Method:

1. Bring water to boil and dissolve sugar. Put in saffron, lemon and cardamon. Simmer
2. Peel and slice pears
3. Place pears immediately into the syrup, cut side up, as they go brown very quickly
4. Simmer for 30 mins, spooning liquid over the pears
5. Cover the pan greaseproof paper and fit the lid, to aid poaching process
6. Do not let the pears cook for too long or they may go a bit mushy

You can reduce the syrupy liquid to an even greater concentrate after you've removed the pears to get that happy glistening yellow colour as shot in the Ballymaloe cookbook.

So sunny.