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| English: A pear poached in white wine, served with a raspberry sauce with ginger, orange zest, and Grand Marnier, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache, fresh berries, whipped cream, and a sprig of mint at The Restaurant, Rochester, Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Poaching or cooking in liquid at a temperature just below the boiling point, is a gently method that works well for delicate foods like fruit. Here, pears are cooked in wine, and the poaching liquid is then reduced to make a sauce. Heating the pears along with the wine, rather than adding them to an already-simmering mixture, causes the flavor of the fruit to infuse the syrupy liquid. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, with large bubbles slowly breaking the surface.
You will need:
4 pc firm but ripe Bosc pears of uniform size
1 bottle (24 fl oz/750 ml) fruity red wine such as Merlot or Zinfandel
3/4 cup (6 oz/185 g) sugar
1 strip lemon zest, 2 inches (5 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide
1 cinnamon stick, 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) long
2 whole cloves
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
Here's how:
Peel the pears, leaving the stems in place. Working from the blossom (bottom) end, and using a melon baller or apple corer, remove the core from each pear, stopping within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stem end. Remove a thin slice from bottom of each pear so that it will stand upright.
Select a deep saucepan with a tight-fitting lid just large enough to accommodate the pears. In the saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, and cloves and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears, standing them close to one another in the pan. If the pears are not covered by the wine, add just enough water to cover them completely.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a slow, gentle simmer. Poach, uncovered, until the pears are tender when pierced with a skewer or cake tester, 20-30 minutes, depending on the firmness of the pear. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pears from the liquid. Let cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap.
Return the wine mixture to medium heat and simmer until it is reduced to 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) and has the consistency of a thick syrup, 40-50 minutes. (The pears and syrup may be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The pears should be brought to room temperature and the syrup reheated before serving.)
To serve, add the butter to the hot syrup and swirl the mixture in the pan until the butter is melted. Divide the pears among individual shallow dessert bowls or deep plates. Pour an equal amount of the sauce over each pear and serve immediately.
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