Poires Belle-Hélène

Method

1. 1 Peel the pears but leave the stems on, then immediately soak them in lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
2. 2 Simmer the sugar syrup with vanilla until thin, then add the pears and let them steep over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. 3 Don't let the water boil vigorously; strong boiling will mash the pears and ruin their shape.
4. 4 Let the pears cool completely in the syrup for 2 hours so the vanilla flavor permeates to the core.
5. 5 Heat the heavy cream, then pour it over the chocolate and whisk until a glossy ganache sauce is formed.
6. 6 Place the pear on top of the vanilla ice cream, then drizzle with hot chocolate sauce and sprinkle with roasted almonds.

With an appliance

• Microwave 42 min

  Replace step 2: Arrange pears in a single layer in a deep bowl with vanilla syrup, cover loosely and microwave at 700W for 12 minutes, flipping gently at the 6th minute; reduce to about 8 minutes. The pears will cook evenly in the non-boiling water, maintaining their shape and eliminating the need for constant monitoring. Step 4: Allow the pears to cool in the syrup to soak through to the core.