Cold pears stained red with tart hibiscus and offset by a hot, creamy, spiced rice pudding
Hibiscus has a tart, berry-like flavour, and turns these pears a jewel-bright crimson in colour. The pears are best poached a day ahead, because they’ll deepen in colour and flavour while they chill in the syrup. I especially like the contrast of the cold, gently tangy pears against a warm, creamy rice pudding that’s fragrant with cardamom, bay, lemon and vanilla. A scattering of pistachios adds a final touch of both colour and crunch.