Alsatian Wine-Poached Pears (Poires Pochees au Vinz)

 

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• Cooking and Prep: 45 m
• Serves: 7
• No Allergens

This is a delicious way to utilize hard pears. Using red wine results in an attractive red color.

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Ingredients (6)

Pears

• 6 to 8 firm pears with stems attached

• lemon juice for rubbing

Wine Sauce

• 2 cups  Baron Herzog Merlot or other dry wine (red or white)

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  Baron Herzog Merlot

• 2/3 – 3/4 cup granulated sugar or Gefen Honey

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  Gefen Pure Honey

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 2 or 3 large slices lemon rind

• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

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Start Cooking

Prepare the Pears

1. Cut off a small slice from the bottom of each pear. Leaving the pears whole and the stems intact, scoop out the core (a melon baller works well).

2. Peel the pears and rub with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Prepare the Wine Sauce

1. Combine the wine, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and rind in a large non-reactive saucepan. Stand up the pears in the wine mixture.

2. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until tender but not mushy, 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size, ripeness, and variety of the pears.

3. Remove from the heat, uncover, knock over the pears and let cool in the cooking liquid, occasionally turning the pears for even coloring.

4. Cover and refrigerate.

5. Serve the pears in the cooking liquid.

Variation:

You can substitute 1 split vanilla bean or 1-inch strip peeled fresh ginger for the cinnamon stick and orange rind or 4 whole cloves for the lemon rind.

 

Substitute sweet wine for the dry wine and reduce the sugar to about ½ cup.

 

Hot Fruit Salad: Slice the poached pears and add 2 peeled segmented navel oranges and 2 cups seedless green grapes.