Port Wine Poached Pears

Fresh pears, poached in a mixture of port wine, lemon and spices, make a sophisticated, flavorful dessert and a beautiful presentation.

Port Wine Poached Pears

Port Wine Poached Pears

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Poached in a mixture of port wine and spices, these pears make a beautiful, elegant dessert for holiday and special occasions.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 6 medium, barely ripe pears (Bartlett, Anjou, Bosc)
  • 3-1/2 cups port wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 6 large strips lemon zest, 1/2-inch wide x 2-inches long
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 whole cloves

Instructions

  • Place the port, water, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon stick and cloves in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stems on. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully hollow out the core and seeds through the bottom. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pear so that they’ll stand upright for serving.
  • Place the pears in the pan and lower the heat to medium so that the liquid simmers gently. Cook, turning gently and basting every 3 minutes for even flavor and color, until the pears are tender when pierced with a thin knife, 12 to 18 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool for 10 minutes in the liquid.
  • Transfer the pears to a platter and continue cooking the poaching liquid until it reduces to the consistency of maple syrup. To serve, make a small pool of syrup on each serving plate, set a pear on top and drizzle with a bit of extra syrup.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Recipe Notes:

The pears can be made ahead and refrigerated. Just bring them to room temperature before serving. You may need to warm the syrup to pouring consistency.
Author: Lynne Webb
Course: Baking & Desserts
Cuisine: American
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