Red-wine poached pears are beautiful, sweet, tart and juicy. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect dessert for the end of summer and the start of fall! Poaching is a simple way to prepare and serve pears. Both Bosc and Comice pears are good choices for cooking and baking, because they hold their shape well. Slice a 1/2 inch off of the bottom to create a flat surface for the pear to stand for serving. Make sure to rotate the pears every 10 minutes while they’re simmering, so the red wine soaks the pears evenly. You can store the pears in the poaching liquid in the refrigerator overnight but rotate a few times. Serve the poached pears with the red wine sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- zest an orange
- juice of an orange
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 whole cloves
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 4 firm, almost ripe pears peeled with stems left intact
Servings: servings
Instructions
- Combine the wine, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, spices and vanilla in a medium saucepan or a small Dutch oven and simmer over a medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer, about 5 minutes. Gently lay the pears down in the saucepan. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer slowly for about 25-30 minutes. Rotate the pears often so the wine sauce coats them evenly.
- The pears are done when they’re tender, can be pierced with a knife, but are still intact. Transfer the pears to a plate and let them cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves and bring the liquid to boil. Let it reduce down until it’s thick and syrup-like, about 15 minutes. Strain the syrup and drizzle over the pears. Serve the poached pears with ice cream, fresh whipped cream or a coconut whipped cream, as a dairy free option. If serving the next day, cover and store the pears in the sauce overnight in the refrigerator.