Poaching Pears in Red Wine
A well-poached pear maintains its structural integrity without turning to mush. You are looking for a gentle, steady bath that coaxes the sugars out of the fruit and replaces them with the spice and body of your liquid.
Firm fruit is your foundation.
Select pears that are slightly under-ripe; if they are already soft at the store, they will collapse during the simmer. Peel them before you begin, but leave the stem intact for presentation.
- small deep saucepan
- paring knife
- vegetable peeler
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 4Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled with stems left on
- 750 mldry red wine
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 2cinnamon sticks
- 3star anise
- 1 striporange zest, removed with a peeler
Submerge with a paper lid
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit inside your pot. Resting this directly on the surface of the liquid keeps the pears submerged, preventing the tops from drying out or discoloring unevenly.
The method.
Prepare the fruit
Peel the pears carefully. Slice a small sliver off the bottom of each pear so they stand upright on a plate, then gently core them from the bottom if desired.
Infuse the liquid
Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and orange zest in the saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
Poach
Place the pears in the liquid. Cover with the parchment cartouche. Adjust heat to low—you want a faint tremor on the surface, not a rolling boil.
Test for tenderness
Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. The fruit is ready when a paring knife slides into the thickest part of the pear with zero resistance.
Reduce the syrup
Remove the pears carefully. Turn the heat to high and boil the remaining liquid until it coats the back of a metal spoon.
Other turns to take.
White Wine and Vanilla
Swap red wine for a crisp white, omit the star anise, and add a split vanilla bean for a lighter, floral result.
Spiced Cider
Replace wine with unfiltered apple cider and add a thumb of fresh ginger instead of star anise.
When it doesn't go to plan.
To keep the pears upright, use a pot narrow enough that they lean slightly against each other.
Cool the pears in the liquid to allow the color to penetrate deeper into the flesh.
Do not discard the poaching liquid; once reduced, it makes an intense syrup for drizzling.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why do my pears taste bitter?
Usually, this happens if the wine is too tannic or if you leave the orange pith on the zest. Use a vegetable peeler to get only the colored skin.
Can I reuse the liquid?
Yes, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, cool it, and refrigerate it for up to a week. You can use it to poach a second batch of fruit.