Chai Poached Pears and Sorbet

Instructions

1. 1. In a large pot, combine the water, tea, and spices, bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let the chai steep for at least 30 minutes, or you can leave it overnight. The longer you leave the tea to steep, the stronger the flavor will be. Strain the liquid and discard the tea and spices. Add the sugar and bring to a simmer.
2. 2. Peel and core the pears, and add them to the poaching liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.
3. 3. Slowly poach the pears, turning them on occasion to make sure all sides are equally cooked. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how low the heat and how firm your pears.
4. 4. To check for doneness, stick a skewer in the bottom of the pear, through the thickest part of the fruit. It should go into the flesh easily. If the pears are not the same size, you may need to take the smaller ones out before the larger ones.
5. 5. Set them to drain and cool on a piece of parchment or wax paper. If you are not serving right away, cover the poached pears with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
6. For Sorbet:
7. 6. Strain the poaching liquid and refrigerate it until thoroughly chilled. Use simple technique to make the sorbet base (add more water if egg floats too high or add simple syrup if it sinks). Freeze as directed by your ice cream maker.
8. For Ganache:
9. 7. When ready to serve the pears, heat the heavy cream in a small pot until simmering. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and butter. Let them sit for 2 minutes then gently whisk them together. Let the mixture sit until it is cool enough to cling to the pears.
10. 8. Spoon the ganache over the pears and add a scoop of pear sorbet.