Description
Red Wine Poached Pears are a classic French dessert featuring firm pears gently cooked in a fragrant mixture of red wine, orange, honey, and warm spices. The result is tender, delicately flavored pears with a luscious syrup perfect for serving warm or cold with a touch of zest or creamy accompaniments.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 2 large oranges, navel or cara cara preferred
- 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 Orange Ingredients: 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 Pears: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the pears while keeping them whole, then add them to the bowl with the orange juice and toss gently to coat. This prevents browning while you prepare the rest.
- Prepare Poaching Pot: In a non-reactive pot (enameled recommended) that fits the pears snugly, add the orange slices, red wine, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, and ground cardamom.
- Bring to Boil and Add Pears: Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low and carefully add the pears along with the orange juice from the bowl. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes, turning pears occasionally with a wooden spoon to ensure even cooking. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of a pear; it should meet no resistance.
- Finish Syrup: Remove pears and place them back into the bowl. Continue simmering the poaching liquid uncovered until it thickens into a syrup, about 5-10 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Arrange the pears upright in the syrup and allow them to cool until just warm or fully chilled. Serve with some of the syrup drizzled on top and optional orange zest garnish. Optionally, refrigerate overnight to enhance flavors.
Notes
- Wine poached pears taste better the next day after absorbing more of the spiced poaching liquid flavors.
- Use small, firm pears such as Anjou or Bosc for optimal texture and cooking time; avoid overly large or overripe pears.
- Serve with a drizzle of the syrup and consider accompaniments like whipped cream, mascarpone, or crème fraîche for added richness.
- The poached pears can be refrigerated in their syrup for up to 2 days for convenience and deeper flavor.
- Choosing a good-quality dry red wine such as Pinot Noir will enhance the overall taste.
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: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
