Recipe : Red Wine Poached Pears

Advertisement

Ingredients

• 4 large pears
  
• 1 3/4 cup (400ml) red wine, like Beaujolais
  
• 3 tablespoons of sugar (40 g)
  
• 2 cloves
  
• 4 peppercorns
  
• 1 small piece of cinnamon bark
  
• Orange zest from one orange
  
• 1 small vanilla bean
  
  
• Mint leaves to decorate
  
• Optional: 1/4 cup (60ml) crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

Cookware

• 1 large pot or saucepan
  
• 1 apple corer or melon baller (for whole pears)
  
• 1 colander
  
• 1 fruit bowl or 4 individual bowls

Preparation

1. If you want to serve the pears whole: peel the pears, but do not remove the stems. Carefully remove the seeds from the pear starting at the bottom of the fruit, using an apple corer or melon baller
   You can also serve the pears cut in half or in quarters and remove the seeds with a knife.
   
   
2. Bring the wine and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the cloves, pepper, cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla bean for flavoring
   Add the pears to the saucepan, lower the heat and cook for about 15 minutes over low heat. Keep an eye on your pan - the pears should remain slightly firm when pierced with the tip of a knife. Gently drain the pears, saving the wine, and place them in a compote dish or in four bowls
   
   
3. Pass the wine through a strainer to remove the spices then thicken it by letting it boil gently in the pan until you have a desired syrupy consistency (about 10-15 minutes)
   
   
4. Drizzle the pears with the wine syrup.
   
   
5. Serve chilled or warm.

Advertisement

Final Thoughts

An optional last step: before serving, coat the pears with the crème de cassis and / or garnish each pear with a small mint leaf


Note: Prepare 1 hour in advance to give the pears time to cool!

Reviews

Home

My consent choices