Poached Pears in Red Wine

 

 

 

 

This is another recipe which sounds very exquisite but is really really simple. I have been wanting to make this one at home for quite some time now. Every time I see pears in the market I get reminded about it. So this time I bought a few pears and kept them right atop the kitchen table to remind me of them. This recipe also has two of my favourite spices cinnamon and star anise. What could be better than this? Making this was a pure joy. The kitchen was filled with the sweet woody aromas of cinnamon and star anise simmering away in the red wine.

 

I made these with a 2007 Cabernet Shiraz from Sula Vineyards which I had with me. I am not really that clued into food and wine pairings but I remembered one basic common thing I had come across over the years in all my television watching experience.. :) And that is.. Only cook with a wine that you like to drink. So armed with this expert knowledge I figured the Cabernet Shiraz that I had, should work fine because I loved drinking it :) And I was right, the reduced glazed sauce with this wine with cinnamon and star anise was truly delicious. I like to be generous with quantity of sauces and gravies so I wasn't disappointed at all. It was finger licking delicious. 

 

 

 

I personally prefer soft cooked pears so I cooked them for about 30 minutes in the wine with the spices. I also kept them soaked in the wine in the fridge overnight so the wine had really got absorbed into the pears and the deep red colour of the wine had got onto the pears. You could serve them as is or with a dollop of mascaporne cheese or some vanilla icecream or some nuts. Since I already had the chilly pistachios I tried a serving with these and that too tasted amazing. So try what works for you.

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients :

 

2 medium sized peeled pears

1 and 1/2 cup red wine

1/4 th cup caster sugar

2 star anise pieces

1 cinnamon stick

 

Recipe :

 

1. Take a saucepan and make the peeled pears sit  in it.

2. Pour wine over it. Add sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise in the saucepan.

3. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove the pears and let the sauce reduce.

4. Let the pears rest for atleast an hour or overnight in the sauce and serve.