Poached Pears with Apricot Sauce

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups water
• 0.75 cups white sugar
• 0.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 Boscs pears - peeled , halved and cored
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 0.5 cups rum

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring 1 ½ cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.

2. 2

   Increase heat to medium-high, and boil syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.

3. 3

   To serve, pour hot apricot sauce over pears, and sprinkle with rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.