Italian poached pears in red wine

Name: Italian poached pears in red wine
Ingredients: 4 firm-ripe pears (stems attached); 750 ml dry red wine; 120 g granulated sugar; 1 lemon (wide strips of peel); 1 cinnamon stick; 2 whole cloves

Dessert - Italian poached pears in red wine by Reina E. - Recipia

Italian poached pears in red wine are whole pears gently simmered with sugar, lemon, cinnamon and cloves. A good autumn dessert, they turn tender but stay intact, with the wine reduced to a dark, lightly spiced syrup that clings to the fruit and can be served warm or chilled. I leave the stems on when I can. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 38 minutes. Rest: 15 minutes. Total time: 63 minutes. Serves 4. About 380 kcal and 1 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the pears

4 firm-ripe pears (stems attached)

For the poaching liquid

750 ml dry red wine
120 g granulated sugar
1 lemon (wide strips of peel)
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves

Preparation

1. Peel 4 pears, leaving the stems attached. 2. In a narrow saucepan, combine 750 ml dry red wine, 120 g granulated sugar, peel from 1 lemon, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 whole cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. 3. Set the pears in the pan, stems up. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and poach for 25 minutes, turning them twice. The wine should bubble quietly, not boil hard. 4. Lift the pears onto a plate and simmer the liquid for 8 minutes, until it looks slightly syrupy. 5. Return the pears to the pan and spoon the syrup over them. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Choose pears that are firm-ripe and still have their stems; very soft fruit can split as it cooks. A narrow saucepan keeps the pears mostly submerged without needing extra wine. If they don't sit level, trim a thin slice from each base before peeling. Use a dry red wine you would drink; a very tannic one can leave a bitter edge as the liquid reduces. For a non-alcoholic version, use 750 ml unsweetened purple grape juice, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 40 g sugar. Serve a pear with some syrup and a spoonful of mascarpone or plain yogurt. Keep the pears covered in their syrup in the fridge for up to 3 days; the spice gets a little stronger as they stand.