Poached Pears

Poached pears are a delicious dessert, simple yet elegant. Here’s a variant with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe but still firm pears
• 1/2 lemon (the juice)
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise (optional)
• 1 bottle of full-bodied red wine, such as a Chianti or a Barolo
• Water, as needed

Preparation

1. Peel the pears while keeping the stem attached. Cut the base of the pears so they can stand upright.
2. In a pot large enough to hold the pears standing, pour the red wine and add sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and star anise.
3. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. Once the sugar has dissolved, place the pears in the pot. Add water until the pears are about 3/4 covered.
5. Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the pears have become tender, turning them occasionally to color them evenly.
6. Remove the pears from the liquid and turn up the heat to reduce the wine to a thick syrup.
7. Serve each pear with some of the syrup drizzled on top.

Curiosity

The process of cooking fruit in wine is very ancient and widespread in various Italian regions, often enhanced with spices like cloves or vanilla, depending on personal taste and local tradition. Wine-poached pears can also be served with a sprinkling of cocoa or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a very pleasurable hot-cold contrast.