These Red Wine Poached Pears make an elegant and delicious dessert served with its reduced syrupy spiced poaching liquid. Definitely a must-try!
Red Wine Poached Pears is a must-try dessert. It is simple yet elegant and so easy to prepare. With a handful of ingredients and a little patience, you will be rewarded with the most amazingly light, fruity, and delicious dessert. It is also very attractive with the pears being naturally tinged a maroon color. The longer the poaching, the deeper the color on the pears. Serve them whole in a glass dish or sliced and fanned out on a shallow dish for a contrast of colors.
While using red wine as a poaching liquid is French in origin, poached pears are also found in other cultures. The Chinese often poach their pears with other dried fruits, herbs, and rock sugar. It is considered a nourishing soup said to be good for healing dry coughs. Here is my version using red Anjou pears, white fungus, red dates, and rock sugar.
I used firm Bosc pears for this recipe. They have a denser and crispier texture and can withstand quite a bit of cooking. I often used them in my savory double-boiled pear soup as they have a similar texture to Asian pears. Another pear that may be used for poaching is Anjou.
For the poaching liquid, I used a Merlot spiced with a cinnamon stick and 4 cloves. Other flavorings may include vanilla beans and orange zest. Be sure to reduce the poaching liquid to make a sweet, rich, syrupy sauce to drizzle over the pears. The sauce is also great drizzled over pork chops. Recipe for pork chops will follow soon.
The recipe below was adapted from Ellie Krieger’s Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears over at the Food Network.
Red Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wine such as merlot or cabernet (480ml)
- ¼ cup sugar (55g)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 firm Bosc pears (peeled leaving stems intact)
Instructions
- Combine red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Gently lower pears into the pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn every few minutes to ensure even color. When done, remove pears from poaching liquid and set aside in a dish.
- Continue to boil poaching liquid until slightly thick and syrupy or reduced by about half over medium high heat. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Serve pears warm or chilled, either whole or sliced, drizzled with syrup.
Nutrition
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
Ann@Anncoo Journal says
Hi Biren,
I love your new template, looks so clean and spacious. Sorry that I’ve not been visiting your blog for a long time.
I’ve not tried poached pears before, sound so easy to make and yummy too! 🙂
Biren says
Many thanks for the feedback, Ann! The blog needed a new look and it took me a while to find the right template. I am glad you like it.
I love poached pears as they are so mellow, sweet, and delicious. Thanks for visiting! 🙂
Marie@citronlimette says
I love poaches pears and they look absolutely gorgeous. I love your new design.
Biren says
Thanks Marie! These pears are really tasty. So glad I finally made them. Thanks also for the feedback on the new design. I am happy to hear you like it. 🙂
Rachel (teacher-chef) says
The color of these pears are amazing – BEAUTIFUL, and I can just imagine that they taste as delicious 🙂
Biren says
Thanks Rachel! I was delighted with the color of the poached pears. The reduced poaching liquid turned a deep garnet. 🙂
DongXing says
What a stunning dish, simple and elegant! I love your last picture of 3 pears standing together, it’s really beautiful. All members of my family do not like poached pear except for me. So I would be making two for myself. I can imagine the fragrance of the cinnamon wafting throughout the kitchen. This would be a great dish to end a lovely chinese new year meal.
Biren says
I think you will enjoy it. It really is quite delicious! 🙂
Ramona says
One word… they are STUNNING!
Elle says
Hi
I don’t see where you mention cloves in the ingredients to use but I see that it is in the recipe instructions. How many cloves please? Thank you
Linda says
Please use 4 cloves. Thank you.