Nourish: These poached pears get a little boozy kick

Tea makes a lovely poaching liquid for fresh or dried fruit. It provides a potpourri of flavor options, including the warm, aromatic spiciness of chai, the heady floral essence of jasmine, and the smoky intensity of Lapsang souchong, to name a few. The tannic acidity of tea — be it black, white or green — also adds a flavonoid-rich, sweet-balancing complexity to fruit dishes. And you reap all that for the little effort it takes to brew some.

In the accompanying recipe, Earl Grey tea, with its citrusy floral notes and black-tea depth of flavor, is used as the poaching liquid for sweet, firm, ripe pears. The tea is brewed for five minutes (much longer than that and you wind up with too much bitterness), then spiked hot toddy-style with honey and a splash of brandy.

The pears are poached whole, so they have a commanding presence on the plate, but that means you have to turn them a few times in the pot so they cook evenly. After about 20 minutes, they are transferred to a dish; the poaching liquid, now rounded with the fruit's juices, is simmered until it becomes a luscious syrup. That quick step evaporates the majority of the alcohol, so another boost of brandy is added at the end.

With some time to chill in the refrigerator, the flavors meld and mellow, the syrup thickens further, and an elegant dessert awaits.

• Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author who hosts public television's “Ellie's Real Good Food.” She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.