Thai Tea Poached Pear With Coconut Sticky Rice

This recipe for Thai Tea Poached Pear With Coconut Sticky Rice is just one of Thaimee LOVE founder and executive Chef Hong Thaimee's innovative dishes that fuses traditional Thai flavors with a New York City twist.

Thaimee LOVE is a six-month pop-up restaurant from acclaimed Chef Hong offering takeout, delivery, and indoor/outdoor dining. Originally from Chiang Mai, Chef Hong serves home-style Thai cooking that celebrates the vibrant tastes of her homeland.

SERVES 6

What you need

Poached Pear:

• 1 cup Thaimee LOVE Thai tea powder
• 6-8 cups Copra Coconut Water (3 or 4 x 16oz bottles sold online)
• 3/4 cup sugar (more or less, to taste)
• 6 large Bosc pears, peeled and cored
• Toasted shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Coconut Sticky Rice:

• 1.5 cups uncooked glutinous rice
• 13.5 oz Copra Coconut Milk (about half of the 1L bottle sold online)
• 1/2 cup palm sugar
• 1 tsp jasmine extract (optional)
• 1/4 cup Copra Coconut Meat
• Pinch of salt

step by step

To prepare the Coconut Sticky Rice:

1. Soak rice in a bowl with room temperature water to cover for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and discard the soaked liquid. Prepare a rice steamer or double boiler with steamer insert lined with cheesecloth, adding water to come up about 2 inches up the sides of the steamer.
2. Bring water in steamer to boil over high heat.
3. Add coconut meat with the rice and wrap with cheesecloth, cover, then lower heat to med-high and steam until rice is just al dente, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
4. While rice and coconut meat are steaming, in a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, sugar, jasmine extract, and salt and heat over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
5. Pour mixture over rice and coconut meat. Gently fold liquid until well mixed. Place plastic wrap directly on top and let sit until most of the coconut milk is absorbed (about 30 minutes).

To prepare the Thai Tea Poached Pear:

1. Bring 6-8 cups coconut water to boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, stir in the Thai tea powder and sugar and immediately turn off heat. Let tea steep for 5-10 minutes.
2. Stand the peeled, cord pears in another tall pot and gently strain the steeped tea over pears to cover. Cover pot and turn the heat to medium.
3. Poach pears for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size. The tea will turn pears a deep, mahogany red.
4. When done, gently remove the pears from the poaching liquid and let cool.
5. Serve pear on top of coconut rice and drizzle remaining coconut milk over if desired.

*Created by Chef Hong Thaimee