Description
Red Wine Poached Pears is a classic French dessert where firm pears are gently simmered in a fragrant mixture of red wine, honey, spices, and orange, resulting in a tender, flavorful treat perfect served warm or chilled with a drizzle of syrup.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 2 large oranges, navel or cara cara oranges preferred for sweetness
- 6 ripe but firm small pears
Poaching Liquid
- 2 cups red wine such as Pinot Noir
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Prepare the orange: Zest and juice one of the oranges and pour the juice into a medium bowl. Slice the remaining orange into 1/4-inch rounds and set aside.
- Peel and coat pears: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the pears while leaving them whole. Add the pears to the bowl with the orange juice and toss to coat thoroughly to prevent browning.
- Combine poaching ingredients: In a non-reactive pot that fits all pears snugly, add the orange slices, red wine, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cardamom.
- Bring to boil and poach pears: Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, then carefully add the pears and the orange juice bowl. Cover and let simmer gently for 30 minutes, occasionally rotating the pears with a wooden spoon until they are tender when tested with a skewer.
- Remove pears and thicken syrup: Transfer the pears back into the bowl. Continue simmering the remaining liquid until it thickens slightly into a syrup, about 5 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Let the pears sit upright in the poaching liquid to cool. Serve warm or chilled with some syrup drizzled over and garnish with orange zest. Optionally refrigerate overnight in the poaching liquid for enhanced flavor.
Notes
- For best flavor, serve wine poached pears the next day to allow the fruit to absorb more of the poaching liquid.
- Choose small, firm pears such as Anjou or Bosc to ensure they hold shape and cook evenly without becoming mushy.
- Enhance the serving by adding whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, or crème fraîche alongside the pears for added richness.
- Use an enameled or non-reactive pot to avoid any metallic taste while poaching.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pear with syrup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
