Red Wine Poached Pears

Name: Red Wine Poached Pears
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: France / Italy
Ingredients: 6 firm, just-ripe pears with stems (about 1.2 kg), e.g. Conference, Bosc or Comice; 750 ml (1 bottle) fruity red wine; 250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) water; 150 g (¾ cup) sugar; 1 orange, peel in wide strips and juice; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 star anise; 4 cloves; 1 vanilla pod, split, optional; crème fraîche, mascarpone or thick yogurt, to serve

Whole pears simmered in spiced wine until jewel-red and tender

Makes: 6 pears
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 1 h 15 min
Level: Easy

Whole pears poached slowly in red wine with spices and orange until they turn deep ruby and meltingly tender, then served with the syrup reduced to a glossy glaze. Elegant, light, and much better made a day ahead.

Ingredients

6firm, just-ripe pears with stems (about 1.2 kg)e.g. Conference, Bosc or Comice
750 mlfruity red wine (1 bottle)
250 mlwater (1 cup + 1 tbsp)
150 gsugar (¾ cup)
1orange, peel in wide strips and juice
1cinnamon stick
2star anise
4cloves
1vanilla pod, splitoptional
crème fraîche, mascarpone or thick yogurtto serve

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: sulphites, milk
Origin: France / Italy
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

In a saucepan just wide enough to hold the pears upright, combine the wine, water, sugar, orange peel and juice, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and vanilla. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 5 min
Meanwhile, peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, keeping the stems on. Cut a thin slice off each base so they stand up. If you like, scoop out the core from underneath with a teaspoon or melon baller.
Lower the pears into the liquid, on their sides if needed so they are mostly covered. Lay a circle of baking paper directly on the surface to keep them submerged.
Simmer very gently for 25–40 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes, until a skewer slides into the thickest part with no resistance. Ripeness changes the time a lot, so test early. 35 min
Lift the pears out into a dish. Boil the liquid hard for 15–20 minutes, until reduced to about 300 ml and syrupy enough to coat a spoon. 18 min
Pour the syrup over the pears and serve warm or chilled, standing upright, with a spoonful of crème fraîche.

Why it works

Gentle simmering softens the pectin in the pears' cell walls slowly, so they turn tender throughout without collapsing at the surface; a hard boil would break them up. Sugar in the liquid slows that softening slightly and keeps the shape. The wine's color pigments are absorbed over time, which is why pears left overnight in the syrup turn a deeper red to the core.

Common mistakes

Using very ripe pears, which turn to mush before they absorb color.
Boiling instead of simmering.
Letting the pears bob above the liquid, which gives patchy color. Use the paper lid.

Variations

Alcohol-free: Poach in 1 L red grape juice or cranberry-apple juice with 50 g sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
White wine and saffron: Use white wine, a pinch of saffron and a strip of lemon peel for golden pears.

Make ahead and storage

Best made 1–2 days ahead and kept in the syrup in the fridge; the color deepens. Reduce the syrup just before serving.

Notes

The alcohol does not fully cook off in gentle poaching; use the alcohol-free variation for children. Some wines are clarified with egg, milk protein or fish gelatin; for a strictly vegan dessert choose a wine labeled vegan. Milk only from the cream or yogurt served alongside; use a plant-based yogurt to keep it vegan.