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Poached Pears in Red Wine

4.80 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Not only will your guests be wowed by the beauty of your charcuterie and cheese display, they'll also love how your house smells from these wine poached pears.
To keep the lovely shape of the pears intact, Zakarian advises peeling them one at a time from top to bottom with a vegetable peeler. "You don't want to get too much of the skin. You just want to get it to the point where you still have that beautiful pear shape," he says.
And for presentation, he recommends slightly trimming the bottom to create "a little balancing beam" so that they can sit upright when presenting them to your guests. Their irresistible aroma of vanilla and cinnamon and plump-tender pear sweetness are so delectable; who needs birthday cake?

Ingredients:

Instructions: 

  • Combine the red wine, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a large, deep pot or wok.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to reach a low simmer.
  • Working with one pear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to gently peel the pears, following their natural shape from top to bottom, trimming the bottom slightly to create a “balance beam."
  • Gently add each pear to the pot and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes on one side.
  • Rotate the pears and continue to poach them for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are tender and are easily poked through with a fork.
  • Remove the pears from the pot and cool them on a cooling rack or clean towel.
  • Bring the wine sauce back up to a rolling simmer and cook until the liquid has been reduced by half.
  • To serve, balance one pear into a shallow bowl. Pour a stream of sauce over the fruit and set a scoop of ice cream, mascarpone cheese, or crème fraiche next to the pear (if using). Serve and enjoy.
Author: Geoffrey Zakarian
Course: Dessert
Keyword: pears
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