recipes


Wine-poached Pears
Active Time: 10 Minutes:
Start to finish (including chilling time): 16 hours

I love poached pears, especially those cooked in red wine, which becomes syrupy and thick when reduced.

1 bottle dry red wine, such as a California Zinfandel
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
4 one-inch-wide strips orange zest
Juice of 1 lemon
2 one-inch-wide strips lemon zest
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
8 firm but ripe Bosc pears, stems intact


Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle to fit the to of a wide, high-sided saucepan or stockpot. Reserve. Peel pears, then slice 1/2 inch off bottom of each pear so pears stand upright. Place wine, water, sugar, orange juice and zest, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a wide saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Place pears, standing up, in liquid, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a vigorous simmer, cover pears with parchment paper, cover pot and cook pears until tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let pairs cool in liquid. Remove pears from liquid and reserve. Strain solids from poaching liquid and bring liquid to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 15-20 minutes (yield: about 1 cup syrup). Cool syrup. To serve, spoon about 2 tablespoons in a shallow bowl or on a dessert plate and place pear in center. Serve with chocolate wafers.


Recipe © 2009 Adeena Sussman