Red Wine Poached Pears
Whole pears simmered in red wine with cinnamon and star anise until they turn deep ruby. An elegant Christmas dessert that’s mostly hands-off.
Okay, ladies, this is the dessert that looks fancy but mostly makes itself. Whole pears simmer in spiced red wine until they turn a deep ruby red, then the wine cooks down into a glossy syrup.
You’ll need
Serves 4. About 45 minutes.
- 4 firm Bosc pears, peeled, stems on
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick and 2 star anise
- A strip of orange peel
- Whipped cream or mascarpone, to serve
Make it
Stir the wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise and orange peel in a pot and bring to a simmer.
Stand the peeled pears in the wine.
Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, turning now and then, until a knife slides in easily.
Lift out the pears, boil the wine down to a syrup, about 15 minutes, and spoon it over.
Lady M’s tips
- Slice a little off the bottom so each pear stands up.
- Make them a day ahead; they deepen in colour overnight in the wine.
- The leftover syrup is lovely over vanilla ice cream.
On my table
One pear per little plate with a spoon of mascarpone, set right on the mat.
That’s it, and you’re ready for game night. Bird Bam Cheers! ...and happy mahj-ing!
— Lady M
