Salted Honey Caramelized Pears

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a sauce pan, just large enough to fit 4 halved pears, combine the turbinado sugar, honey, and water. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce is a deep golden caramel color – about 6 to 8 minutes. There’s no need to use a candy thermometer here – just go by the color, which will be a shade or two darker than your starting point. Off the heat, add the pear juice and fleur de sel, and stir to combine.
3. Next, add the halved pears, cut-side down, to the caramel sauce, and simmer over medium-low heat until they begin to caramelize around the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Nestle the sprigs of thyme around the pears. (Note: you don't need to double or triple the amount of thyme if you're making this for a crowd; two or three sprigs should be plenty.)
4. Into your oven: Roast for about 15 minutes (still cut-side down), basting the pears once with the sauce. Flip the pears so they’re cut-side up, and roast for about 10 to 15 minutes longer, basting once more, until the pears are soft and tender and cooked through. Total cooking time will depend on the ripeness of your pears.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra sauce drizzled over the pears. See headnote for serving ideas.