Red Wine Poached Pears

This classic French dessert originated in Burgundy as a way to utilize unripe fruit. And actually, this technique works best if the pears are unripe as they hold up better when poaching in the hot liquid. It’s a simple but sexy dessert (and it’ll make your house smell amazing).

red wine poached pears with pine honey cream
serves 6 (or as many pears as you want to do)

shopping list:

• 6 pears (Anjou, Concorde, or Bosc hold up well to being poached but unripe Bartlett pears will also work)

• 1 bottle (750ml) red wine, such as Côte du Rhône, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Burgundy

• 250 grams sugar

• lemon or orange rind or zest

• garnish with pistachios, if desired

  
  optional aromatics:

• vanilla bean, split

• warming spices such as a cinnamon stick, cloves, etc

pine honey cream:

• 226 (1 cup) grams whipped cream

• 14 grams (1 tbsp) pine honey* (more if you wish it to be sweeter)

equipment:

• peeler

• sauce pot

• parchment paper to make a cartouche (see below)

• kitchen aid or mixer with the whisk attachment

steps:

1. Carefully peel all the pears, trying to keep their shape as best as you can (if doing a few, place the pears in acidulated water so they don’t oxidize). We also like to leave the stem on for dramatic presentation.

2. Add the wine, sugar, and any of the aromatics if using. Cover with a cartouche (see below) to help the pears stay submerged in the wine. Bring the wine up to a boil to dissolve the sugar and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until tender, turning the pears often. (Test the pears by sticking a cake tester through the flesh. If there’s little to no resistance, the pears are done.)

3. Remove from the heat and transfer the pears to another vessel before reducing the syrup down by half. Pour the syrup over the pears, cover, and refrigerate. The poached pears will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator.

4. For the pine honey cream: in a kitchen aid with a whisk attachment, add the cream and a drizzle of honey and whip until soft peaks. (You can make the pine honey cream ahead of time, just whisk it back to soft peaks if it falls.)

A cartouche is a parchment paper lid. It helps trap steam, reduces evaporation, and prevents a skin from forming on the surface. In this case, it helps keep the pears from bobbing too far out of the liquid.

To make a cartouche, take a sheet of parchment, and fold it in half and then in half again. Starting with the folded tip, fold on the diagonal like a fan to form a narrow triangle. Cut to the desired length and cut off the tip of the triangle to make a hole in the center. Unfold the cartouche. You now have a circle and can place it directly on top of food.

*Can’t find pine honey? Try a sprig of rosemary instead! In a small saucepot, steep fresh rosemary sprigs with honey on very low heat until fragrant.