Poire Belle Hélène {Poached Pears w/ Chocolate}

Poire Belle Hélène is an indulgent, classic French dessert made of poached pears smothered in dark chocolate sauce with a side of vanilla ice cream. It looks impressive, but the recipe is pretty simple – a win-win for entertaining, or for any time you are craving a decadent dessert!

What is the History of Poire Belle Helene?

This French pear dessert was created around 1864 by French Chef Auguste Escoffier and named after the operetta La Belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. The “Helene” in the operetta was Helen of Troy, and the operetta was so popular that many other dishes with the name “belle helene” popped up on menus across France.

The first time I went to Paris was just after college. One night, I treated myself to dinner at the famous four star restaurant, “La Coupole”, on the Boulevard Montparnasse. The romantic, artsy side of me wanted to sit in the same booths as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Henry Miller and Picasso.

I don’t remember what I had for dinner, but for dessert, I had Poire Belle Hélène – a poached pear, with French vanilla ice cream, topped with dark chocolate sauce. 

Maybe it’s because I was in Paris, the city of romance, that I think Poires Belle Hélène is one of the most romantic desserts. Simple, yet elegant, and oh so delicious. (Kind of like Chocolate Fondue!)

Before we get into this easy pear Belle Helene recipe, let’s cover two things: how to core a pear and how to poach pears.

How to Prepare Pears Helene

The first thing you’ll need to do is core the pears. But how do you core a pear while leaving the whole pear intact? Start from the bottom and use an apple corer or a melon baller to gently scoop out the base and core.

Next, bring water, wine, and sugar to a boil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Do this before you peel the pears so you can put them directly in the water. This will prevent them from turning brown from oxidation. 

Peel the pears up to the stem (leave the stem intact for better presentation!). Use a vegetable peeler to get a smooth, evenly shaped pear and remove any ridges.

Put the peeled pears directly into the boiling water/wine/sugar and then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer the pears for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender but not too soft. Allow them to cool in the poaching liquid, then transfer to a serving dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serving Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce

When you are ready to serve this Pear Belle Hélène dessert, combine chocolate, butter, sugar, heavy cream, and hot water in the top of a double boiler.

Simmer on a medium-low heat and stir until chocolate is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream and one poached pear on a plate. Drizzle the pear liberally with chocolate sauce and serve immediately.

If you have leftover chocolate sauce, it will keep for about a week in a covered container in the fridge.

Looking for a French-inspired meal to serve before this dessert? Check out my Porc a la Normande (pork loin with apples) recipe!