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In 1864, Jacques Offenbach’s comic operetta La Belle Hélène was the hit of Paris, and the city’s chefs named dishes after it in tribute. The one that endured is credited to Auguste Escoffier, the chef who defined French haute cuisine: pears poached in vanilla syrup, served with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.

More than 150 years later, poires belle Hélène is still on the menus of Paris bistros and brasseries every autumn, when the pears are at their best. It is a dessert of pure, simple pleasure, and an easy one to make at home.

A night at the opera

Make an evening of it in Paris: a performance at the Palais Garnier, then dessert at a nearby brasserie. Our guide to Paris has more on the neighborhood, and for a stay with old-world grandeur, see the Four Seasons George V.

Choose the right pears

Bosc or Anjou pears hold their shape during poaching. Pick them firm and just ripe. Use good dark chocolate with about 60 to 70 percent cocoa for the sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4.

For the pears

• 4 firm Bosc or Anjou pears
• 4 cups (950 ml) water
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the sauce and to serve

• 4 oz (115 g) dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Vanilla ice cream
• Toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Method

1. Make the syrup. Bring the water, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to a simmer in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears.
2. Poach. Peel the pears, leaving the stems on, and core them from the base. Poach gently, covered with a round of parchment, for 15 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
3. Cool. Let the pears cool in the syrup, which keeps them moist and flavored. They can be made a day ahead.
4. Make the sauce. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in the butter and a spoonful of the poaching syrup.
5. Serve. Stand each pear in a shallow bowl with a scoop of ice cream and pour over the warm chocolate sauce at the table.

How to serve it

Cold pear, cold ice cream, hot sauce: the contrast is the point. Scatter with toasted almonds if you like.

What to pour

A glass of Banyuls, the sweet red wine of Roussillon, is a classic match for chocolate. Poire Williams, the pear eau-de-vie, is a stronger finish.

Make a menu of it

Finish a Paris-themed dinner of our French onion soup and slow cooker coq au vin with these pears. Every fall recipe is At the Table.

Photo: Comrade Foot, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0