Spiced Poached Pears
Whether it is a crisp winter day or a holiday gathering, this dessert is the perfect end to a meal, especially when one feels there is no room for dessert. The lightly sweet pears and dark berry essences from the wine, fuse with the warm winter flavors of the spices. You can make them months in advance and have them ready for festive occasions!
Part 1 - Mise-en-place
Makes six servings.
Gather the basic ingredients:
1 bottle dry red wine
1 1/2 cups /330 g sugar
2 large bay leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 cinnamon stick
2 sachets or 2 heaping tablespoons of ‘les epices de vin chaud’. (see notes)
1 vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
6 medium pears, firm with stem intact, carefully peeled
Part 2 - Method
In a medium sauce pan, large enough to hold all six pears, combine the wine and sugar and heat until dissolved. Add two bay leaves and the cinnamon stick along with the spices and heat to a full boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and gently add the pears to the wine. Heat the pears slowly without a cover, occasionally turning them so that they absorb the spiced wine mixture evenly. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the pears are tender when pierced with a tooth pick or tip of a paring knife.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Part 3 - Bringing it all together
If you are making your pears a day ahead, you can place the entire pot, covered in the refrigerator. Otherwise, you can move the pan to the back of the stove and reheat them just before serving.
Remove the pears from the spiced wine. When ready to serve, cut the base of each pear to make a flat surface so that the pears stand upright. Add a bay leaf to the stem of each pear as garnish. Place on a plate or dish.
Serving suggestions:
The pears can be served warm or chilled, with whipped cream or on vanilla ice cream. For a healthy option - serve with Greek yogurt. I love the pears at room temperature served in a pool of crème anglaise. (recipe on page 286 of my book, French Kitchen Lessons).
Tips:
Submerged in wine, poached pears can be store in the refrigerator for up to six months. After serving pears, the remaining spiced wine can be served warm in festive glasses with a cinnamon stick or as a lovely end to the meal with a gingerbread cookie.
Don’t forget to strain the spiced wine and save for another use. Spiced wine makes a lovely warm beverage or can be added to cocktails.
RHK Holiday Spices
Try our custom blend to make ‘vin chaud’ holiday beverages or add the perfect holiday flavor to desserts and sweet treats!
If you have strolled the Christmas markets in Europe, you must know all about ‘vin chaud’ or mulled wine. A favorite for the holidays and winter months, we have created a ‘kit’ of spices and an infusing sachet for you to try at home for beverages and desserts. You can also use them for adding aromatic holiday spice to poached pears, custards or hot chocolate.
My new book …
French Kitchen Lessons - Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm is available online and from your favorite bookshop!
About the Author
Cat Bude is a cookbook author, writer, photographer & foodie living on a farm in Normandy called Rabbit Hill. She loves to frequent local French markets and hosts and teaches both online and in-person cooking classes. She is also an entrepreneur and business owner with an online shop that features French culinary and vintage items.