Hibiscus Poached Pears, Chocolate Sauce & Cacao Crumble

Method

Poached pears

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add the tea and remove from the heat.
3. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes.
4. Strain out the tea and sweeten with maple syrup.
5. Return to the stove and bring to a simmer.

6. Peel the pears, half them lengthwise and remove the core.

7. Add to the saucepan and let simmer for app. 20 minutes or until pears are tender but don't collapse. It will depend on the firmness of your pears.

8. Carefully remove the pears from the tea and set aside.
9. Simmer the remaining tea until you get a syrupy consistency (optional).

Raw chocolate olive sauce

1. Whisk the olive oil, maple syrup and salt together in a small bowl.

2. Sift in the cacao powder and whisk well to remove any lumps.

3. Add a few tablespoons of the tea and mix well to get a smooth texture.

Buckwheat and cacao crumble

1. Heat a small frying pan and dry roast the buckwheat for app. 10 minutes.
2. Add all the ingredients over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes stirring from time to time.
3. Remove from the heat, transfer to a parchment paper, flattening with a spatula.
4. Let it cool, then break in pieces and use or store in an airtight jar.

Plating

1. Pour some chocolate sauce onto the centre of each plate.
2. Put 2 halves on each plate.
3. Drizzle more sauce into the hollow centre of each half and sprinkle with the buckwheat crumble.
4. Add some syrup or serve in a small pot on the side.
5. Serve warm or cold.

Thanks for the lovely recipe Cecile!