Our Pear Conde recipe

Serves 4

This gorgeous recipe is our posh version of a classic rice pudding topped with poached pears. The ultimate in comfort and sophistication! Give it a go at home…

For the rice pudding

500ml whole milk
25g caster sugar (from the vanilla jar if possible)
50g pudding rice
50g golden sultanas
a teaspoon of fresh orange zest
a tiny pinch of salt

For the poached pears

4 williams pears
500g caster sugar
500ml water
1-2 cinnamon sticks

For the rice pudding (the conde is best served slightly chilled so can be made the day before)

  1. Place the milk and the sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to the boil
  2. Turn down to a low heat
  3. Add the rice, the salt, the orange zest and the sultanas
  4. Cook for around 55 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure the rice doesn't stick
  5. Stir continuously for an additional 5 minutes
  6. Take off the heat and set aside to cool, then chill

For the pears

  1. Put the sugar and the water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Bring to the boil and boil for one minute, then turn the heat down to low.
  3. Peel and core the pears, leaving the stalk on
  4. Add the pears and one large or two small cinnamon sticks
  5. Cover with a cartouche ( a round 'lid' of greasepoof paper) and bring back to the boil
  6. Turn the heat right down and simmer gently for 30 minutes
  7. Allow the pears to cool
  8. Serve a small mound of chilled rice pudding topped with the poached pear, and a drizzle of the poaching syrup.
  9. Enjoy