Poached pears with whipped ricotta & chocolate sauce

This is a beautiful way to eat ricotta. You’ll be amazed at how the creamy ricotta curds transform into a smooth, silky sauce with a few turns of a whisk. The vanilla and sugar make it even more delicious, but feel free to add some maple syrup or honey instead.

The chocolate sauce is also magic. If you have any left over, use it on top of ice cream, where it will quickly harden, and you’ll need to whack it with the back of a spoon before you tuck in.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

460 g (1 lb/2 cups) Cheat’s ricotta

2 tablespoons icing (confectioners’) sugar

½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract, or the seeds from ½ vanilla bean

65 g (2½ oz/⅔ cup) coconut oil

150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) chopped good-quality dark chocolate

4 Preserved pears

star anise, to garnish (optional)

cinnamon sticks, to garnish (optional)

METHOD

Place the ricotta, icing sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Using a whisk, mix until smooth and silky.

In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and the chocolate over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture is melted and shiny.

Place the preserved pears in shallow serving bowls and drizzle each with a tablespoon of their preserving syrup. Add a big dollop of whipped ricotta, then drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Garnish with star anise and cinnamon sticks, if desired.