Helen Goh serves cold hibiscus-poached pears over hot spiced rice pudding, combining tart fruit with warm, creamy rice fragrant with cardamom, bay, lemon and vanilla.
The pears benefit from poaching a day ahead in a hibiscus-infused syrup, which deepens their colour to jewel-bright crimson and intensifies their flavour as they chill. Goh pairs them with a rice pudding made from short-grain rice simmered gently in milk with the same spice notes, finished with cream and topped with toasted pistachios.
The recipe takes 10 minutes to prep, 15 minutes to infuse the hibiscus, 1 hour 20 minutes to cook, and at least 4 hours to chill. It serves six.