Spiced Poached Pears

Looking for a classy, easy, frugal recipe for a fancy holiday dinner this year? Try spiced poached pears! This is one of those “oo la la” type of fancy schmancy looking deserts that actually isn’t very hard.

I made this last year for the first time to go with our “most expensive meal of the year”. I figured that after lobster, bacon wrapped filet mignon w/blue cheese, and ham wrapped asparagus with hollandaise, a light desert would be best. Our guests were seriously impressed, and it was very, very simple to make.

Granted, fresh pears can be a bit pricey compared to other fruits, but still, we aren’t exactly breaking the bank here. And I’ve had readers tell me that they have successfully made this with canned pears-even easier and cheaper, but not quite as awe inspiring to look at.

Spiced Poached Pears

1 C water
1 C red wine
2 TBS lemon juice
1 C sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole allspice
1 small piece crystallized ginger
4-5 firm pears
Whipped Cream

Peel pears, leaving stems attached. You may want to cut a small slice off the bottom of the pear to make it stand up better when plating.

Combine water, red wine, lemon juice, sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Put pears in an oven proof dish. Pour wine/spice syrup over them and poach at 300 for 20-25 minutes (until tender).

Pour a bit of syrup onto the individual serving plate and stand pear on top. Serve with whipped cream.

Variations: You may use canned pears-as I said, they will not look quite as pretty. And because canned pears are already cooked, you won’t have to cook them for as long. You may also substitute apple cider or other juice for the wine.

Photos by Quintanaroo and Stewart Spivack