TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Poires Belle-HélènePears Belle Hélène

Pears Belle Hélène
Difficulty★★★☆☆ Prep20 min Cook35 min Rest2 hr servings2

A classic French dessert pairing poached pears with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. Poach the pears evenly to their cores, then finish with contrasts in temperature and texture.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • Firm pears2 pieces
  • Water600 ml
  • Caster sugar120 g
  • Vanilla bean1 pod
  • Lemon juice10 ml
  • Dark chocolate, 60–65% cocoa60 g
  • Whole milk60 ml
  • Vanilla ice cream120 g

Method

115 min

Peel and core the pears while keeping their shape

  • 1 Peel 2 pears, leaving the stems. Insert a corer from the base and remove the seeds.
  • 2 Coat the pears evenly with 10ml lemon juice.
  • 3 Split half a vanilla bean lengthways and scrape out the seeds.

Ready when

Proceed when the pears retain their shape and stems and their seeds have been removed from below.

230 min

Poach gently in syrup

  • 1 Bring 600ml water, 120g caster sugar and the vanilla seeds and pod to the boil over medium heat in a deep pan about 16cm across.
  • 2 Lay the pears on their sides, cover closely with baking paper with a central hole and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes, turning carefully every 10 minutes.
  • 3 Turn off the heat, place the pan in cold water to lose its initial heat, then transfer pears and syrup to a clean container.

Ready when

Proceed when a skewer enters the thickest part easily and the pears retain their shape.

Caution

A vigorous boil can break the pears.

32 hr

Chill the pears in syrup

  • 1 Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Ready when

Proceed when the pears are cold through and have absorbed the syrup’s sweetness.

45 min

Make a glossy chocolate sauce

  • 1 Finely chop 60g chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl.
  • 2 Warm 60ml milk in a small pan to just below boiling and pour over the chocolate.
  • 3 Wait 30 seconds, then stir in small circles from the centre until uniform.

Ready when

Proceed when no pieces remain and the sauce is smooth and glossy.

55 min

Serve pears and ice cream in cold dishes

  • 1 Remove pears from syrup and drain their bases on kitchen paper.
  • 2 Place 60g vanilla ice cream on each of 2 chilled dessert plates and add 1 pear to each.
  • 3 Pour half the warm chocolate sauce over each pear and serve immediately.

Ready when

The dessert is ready when the pears are cold, the ice cream holds its shape and the sauce is glossy.

A view of Rue de Reuilly, Paris
Rue de Reuilly, ParisA view of France Photo: besopha · CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

Poires Belle Hélène is a classic French dessert. Pears, vanilla ice cream and chocolate make a fitting conclusion to an autumn meal.

Evoking the dessert culture of Paris, it can be assembled on individual plates at home. On a day when you want conversation to continue after the meal, this is a dish that gives fruit the leading role.

Chef Authen

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