Christmas is almost here! I am hosting a Christmas dinner party and these poached pears will be on the table stealing the show.
My dad is visiting so we will be side-by-side in the kitchen to prepare a feast together. He is actually the king of the kitchen in our family; never a dull meal; everyday he puts something special on the table either at home or at his culinary club where he and fellow chefs prepare a multi course dinner together every month. So he is the king, but I am for sure the princess of the healthy kitchen here. I am all for indulgence over the holidays, but wherever I can, I will ‘healthify’ our family recipes to not go overboard (sorry dad).
These spiced pears have Christmas written all over them and they are as healthy as can be, so they will be on the menu for sure! They are so easy to make, are naturally sweet and taste incredibly delicious.
Wafts of cinnamon-scented air filling the kitchen while the pears are simmering. And even though these are made with red wine, the alcohol will evaporate so kids can eat them as well.
How to make poached pears?
1 pot, 4 ingredients and time to simmer is all it takes!
I start by peeling the pears. I leave the stem on so I can lift them out of the saucepan easily.
Now I add the pears to a saucepan. They should be snugly side-by-side in the pan not allowing too much space between them. I drop star anise and cinnamon (bark) in there as well. I pour in enough red wine to (almost) cover the pears. You can also add a bit of water if you don’t want to use too much wine.
I bring the pears in wine to boil and turn down the heat to low allowing them to simmer (so simmer not boil! This is important!) for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Depending on the type of pear you use they will need an hour to be ready. The longer you leave them simmering, the more intense the flavor will be. I make sure to check on them every once in a while to see if there is still enough liquid in the pan.
Once the pears are softened and deep red, I take them out of the saucepan and transfer them to a serving plate. The cinnamon and star anise I discard. All but is left in the saucepan is the cooking liquid. In order to use it as a sauce to accompany the pears, it has to thicken. Therefor I bring the liquid to boil and continue boiling it down for 5-10 minutes until it becomes syrupy. If you are pressed for time you can also use some cornstarch or arrowroot powder. When I make the sauce like this I add a teaspoon of either one to a bit of water and stir until I have a smooth paste. I add this to the boiling liquid and stir. The sauce will immediately start to thicken. I take it off the heat and pour it over the pears. Or I sometimes serve it separately in a sauce boat.
What type of pear to use?
Which pears to use depend on where in the world you are. The best type of pear to poach in Europe would be the Gieser-Wildeman. There is also the St. Remy, but it lacks a bit of sweetness which would have to be added.
Bosc and Anjou pears are a good option when you are in North America. I would say to avoid the Bartlett. It is a lovely pear and has great taste, but it is too soft for poaching.
We always serve poached pears as a side dish accompanying savory dishes, but poached pears make for an excellent dessert as well. My next recipe with pears will be a dessert. Promise!
My kids tried my poached pears for the first time the other day and where amazed by the sweet flavor of them. So now we all love them! And I hope you all will too. They are
naturally sweet – juicy – aromatic – wholesome – perfect for a Christmas feast – incredibly delicious
Poached pears
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 pears (pears for poached such as Gieser-Wildeman, St. Remy, Anjouor Bosc)
- 2 cinnamon stick (bark)
- 1 star anise
- 500-750 ml red wine (enough to cover the pears. You can also add so water if necessary)
Instructions
- Start by peeling the pears. Leave the stem on so you can lift them out of the saucepan easily.
- Now put the pears in a saucepan. They should be snugly side-by-side in the pan not allowing too much space between them and add star anise and cinnamon (bark) in there as well. Pour in enough red wine to (almost) cover the pears.
- Bring the pears in wine to boil and turn down the heat to low allowing them to simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the type of pear you use). The longer you leave them simmering, the more intense the flavor will be. Make sure to check on them every once in a while to see there is still enough liquid in the pan.
- Once the pears are softened and deep red, take them out of the saucepan and transfer them to a serving plate. The cinnamon and star anise can be discarded. The remaining liquid can be used to make a sauce. Bring the liquid to boil and continue boiling it down for 5-10 minutes until it becomes syrupy and pour over the pears or transfer to a sauce boat. If you are pressed for time you can also use some cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce. Add a teaspoon of either one to a bit of cold water and stir until smooth. Now add this to the boiling liquid and stir. The sauce will immediately start to thicken. Take it off the heat and pour it over the pears. Or serve it separately in a sauce boat.
Notes
You will find these pears on our Christmas dinner table alongside these roasted carrots, potato gratin or herby sweet potato mash and of course a big turkey and stuffing. These pears go really well on top of porridge as well! Try this pumpkin spice porridge recipe (you can use gingerbread spice instead) and I can assure you these pears will pair really well with it.
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