Burgundy Poached Pears

Derf's Note:

An impressive simple dessert to top off a holiday dinner (and low cal too!)

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 8 medium firm ripe pears
• 1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice
• 6 cups Burgundy wine or 6 cups dry red wine
• 3 cups reduced-calorie cranberry juice cocktail
• 12 orange slices
• 3 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
• orange rind twists (optional)
• fresh mint sprig (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel pears and remove core from bottom end, leaving stem intact.
2. If needed, slice about 1/4 inch from bottom of pears, so that they will sit flat.
3. Brush pears with orange juice to prevent browning.
4. Combine burgundy, cranberry juice, orange slices and cinnamon sticks in a dutch oven, bring to boil.
5. Add pears, reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally.
6. Remove pears from pan, reserving 1 cup poaching liquid.
7. Reserve remaining liquid.
8. Discard orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
9. Place each pear on a dessert plate.
10. Top each pear with 2 tablespoons reserved poaching liquid.
11. Garnish with orange rind curls and mint sprigs.
12. The remaining poaching liquid can be chilled and combined with chilled ginger ale to make a delicious wine punch.

Reviews

[Thorsten]

Easy and in advance to make and very impressive by its wonderful color. If you just follow the recipe you can't go wrong. The only thing you have to take care of is to poach the pears and not to cook them. And keep an eye on them, because poaching time is depending on size. I have used smaller "Williams Christ" pears and they need just about 10 minutes. I used a dry and not too sweet red wine and this brought out the pear flavors very well. The cinnamon add a wonderful flavor. And so the cranberry juice with its more tart notes. Completed is this dessert by the fruity notes of oranges. I've made it one day in advance and this intensified the colors and also blended the flavours more. The pears were soft, but with a little bite. I completed this dessert with a few preserved carnberries and oranges. Thank you so much for sharing this dessrt.

[Mme M]

I liked this recipe, but thought it would have been better with fewer strong flavors competing with the delicate pears. Still, it was a nice dish!