Poached Pear Kataifi Nests

Cook Time 1 hour and 30 minutes (+ overnight straining)

Servings 4

Ingredients

500g Greek yoghurt
150g kataifi pastry
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup honey
500ml water
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
2 cloves
4 Beurre Bosc pears, peeled and core removed from the base, stems intact
1 vanilla bean
50g pistachios, roasted and roughly chopped

Method

Place the yoghurt in a sieve lined with muslin cloth or a large clean chux. Twist the cloth to seal and place the sieve over a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight (or at least a couple of hours) to strain the whey away.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Loosen the kataifi with your fingers and place in a large bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the honey and mix well with your fingers to ensure all of the kataifi is coated. Separate into 4 bundles and form nest-like shapes (you can use a cookie cutter to ensure they are uniform). Place on a greased tray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Allow them to cool before serving.

Place the remaining honey, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, star anise and cloves into a pot that will fit the four pears. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Add the pears, ensuring they are completely submerged in the liquid. Cover with a piece of fitted baking paper and a lid and poach gently for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, place the pears in a bowl with a ladleful of the liquid.

Bring the remaining liquid up to the boil for 15-20 minutes and reduce by half or until a syrupy liquid forms. Cool to room temperature.

Combine the strained yoghurt with 1 tablespoon of the cooled syrup and stir through the vanilla bean seeds.

To serve, place a dollop of yoghurt on to plates and place the nest on top. Add the pear to the cavity of the nest. Drizzle over the syrup and garnish with pistachios.