How to Make Poached Pears

Many different varieties of pears are available year-round, and this simple method is an elegant way of enjoying them. Buy firm pears (see Product Tips) and a good wine to poach them in. This recipe makes four servings but is easily expanded.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Groceries
• Paring Knives
• Peelers
• Saucepans
• 1 750-ml. bottle zinfandel
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 1 orange
• 4 firm ripe pears

1. Place all ingredients except the orange and the pears in a medium nonreactive saucepan.
2. Heat on medium.
3. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to shave off a few large strips of the orange's zest, leaving the white pith behind. Give the strips a few good twists to free the oil and drop them in the saucepan.
4. Halve the orange and squeeze the juice from one half into the saucepan.
5. Continue to heat until the poaching liquid begins to simmer. Lower the heat to maintain a very slow simmer.
6. When the liquid simmers, peel the pears and carefully lower them into the poaching liquid one at a time.
7. Let them simmer gently for about 10 to 15 minutes, then begin testing them with a small paring knife. To test, scoop out one pear and poke the knife into the bottom of the pear. The pear should be tender throughout but not mushy. Test frequently, because cooking times will vary from 15 to 30 minutes or more, depending on ripeness, size and variety of pear.
8. Remove them and let them cool.
9. Continue to poach more pears, or shut off the heat and pour the poaching liquid into a clean container to reuse later.
10. When the pears are warm, use the knife to cut out their cores, either by digging them out from the base of the pears, or by halving the pears and cutting them out directly.
11. Serve warm.

Tips & Warnings

• Poached pears make a good dessert on their own, or they can be served with ice cream, custard, rice pudding or just about any other item that's good with fruit. If you underpoach the pears deliberately, you can bake them in tarts or fruit crisps as well.
• You can make a syrup out of the poaching liquid by scooping some out and simmering it until most of the moisture has evaporated and mostly sugar is left. Watch it carefully, because the more the moisture evaporates, the more likely it is to burn.