Red Wine Poached Pears
- PREP 10min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 35min
These poached pears are stunning for dessert! I use red wine for my poaching liquid, but white wine is lovely, too. When choosing the wine for these pears, it doesn’t need to be the best bottle, but definitely choose something you would be happy drinking. I go for drier red wines like Rioja, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. For white wine, try Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc.
You Will Need
1 lemon, cut in half
3 firm pears like Bosc or Bartlett
1 cup water
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine like Rioja, Pinot Noir, or Merlot
1 orange, quartered
½ cup honey or more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, halved with seeds scraped out
Directions
1Prepare parchment round: Set aside a large saucepan that holds at least 3 quarts. Cut a circle of parchment paper that fits just inside the saucepan. Then make a small hole in the center of the parchment so it looks like a donut. This is called a cartouche. You will place it on top of the poaching liquid later to keep the pears submerged.
2Make a bowl of lemon water: Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the water, and drop in the lemon halves.
3Prepare the pears: Peel the pears, then cut them in half. Core them, then place them immediately into the bowl with lemon water to prevent browning.
4Make the poaching liquid: Combine the wine and 1 cup of water in the large saucepan. Squeeze the orange quarters over the pan, and then drop them in. Stir in the honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and the vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out and added to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
5Poach: Remove the pear halves from the lemon water and place them into the poaching liquid. Place the parchment paper round on top of the poaching liquid, then cook at a very low simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until tender throughout, about 20 minutes. As they poach, occasionally push the pears down so that they are submerged in the liquid.
6Serving: Serve warm or chilled with a generous spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store poached pears in the poaching liquid in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. As the pears sit in the liquid, they take on even more flavor, making this a great make-ahead dessert. When ready to serve, offer them chilled or warm them in a saucepan with some poaching liquid in a saucepan on the stove.
- Vanilla: Substitute the vanilla bean with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Nutrition facts are estimates. They are likely too high as we included the poaching liquid in the calculations.