Red Wine Poached Pears
The recipe to prepare red wine poached pears is very easy and super tasty. It is perfect if you want a sophisticated dessert that is not excessively sweet. The chocolate, enhanced by the wine’s depth, adds a slightly bitter and unique touch to this dessert.
Italian name: Pere cotte nel vino [ˈpeːre ˈkot.te nel ˈviːno]
Red wine poached pears is a very common recipe in Northern Italy and France. The wine where the pears are cooked is enriched with various spices, creating a sort of mulled wine and this gives a very fall-wintery taste to the recipe.
This dish can also be served warm, and the leftover wine can be sipped in the evening to keep you warm. The cozy blend of spices makes it a perfect Christmas dessert!
Why It’s Worth a Spot on Your Table
This dessert is very easy to prepare, uses seasonal ingredients and has a spiced flavor that will end your dinner in a sophisticated way. Moreover, it is light and fully vegan, which will make you enjoy it without feeling too guilty.
It is the perfect way to end a romantic and sophisticated dinner! If you are looking for the perfect romantic dinner recipe, why don’t you take a look at this Saffron Risotto?
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 4 pears
- 3 cups red wine (one 750 ml bottle)
- ½ cup white sugar (100 gr)
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 strips of orange zest
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate (100 gr)
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pears
I used Concorde pears for this recipe, but you can use whichever variety you like the most. If you want to have a cute and petite version, use small pears. Just make sure to use firmer pears that aren’t too ripe to avoid them falling apart during cooking.
Chocolate
I chose dark vegan chocolate (70%) for its bitterness, which pairs well with the spices. The chocolate will be melted over a bain-marie and combined with some poaching wine, to create a tasty sauce to go with the pears.
Spices
The spices flavor the wine, and thus the pears, creating a warm, wintry taste—perfect for chilly days and festive occasions. Some people also add peppercorns, some lemon zest or a bay leaf; feel free to experiment!
Tips
- Red wine poached pears can be accompanied by different things, if you don’t feel like preparing the chocolate sauce: whipped cream, some vanilla ice cream or the same wine (reduced to create a liquid cream) will do the job perfectly.
- Be accurate with cooking time, otherwise your pears will fall apart. Let them cook for 20-30 minutes, and then let them rest for 1 hour in the wine before serving them.
- You can enjoy this dessert both warm or cold. Heating it up will make it perfect for a chilly night on the sofa.
- If you like particular flavor combinations you can pair the pears with some cheese, brie would go perfectly with them. My grandma always says “don’t let the farmer know how good cheese and pears go” (I tried to translate the saying respecting the rhyme too), implying that otherwise farmers would eat all the pears and the cheese, and we couldn’t enjoy them!
Step by Step Recipe
- Pour the wine into a pot and add the spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves), orange zest and sugar. Warm it up a little and mix.
- Once the sugar is melted, add the pears and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, turning the pears halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let the pears rest in the wine for 1 hour.
- Once the hour has passed, melt some chocolate over a bain-marie: place a pot with water on the stove and heat it up. In another smaller pot place the chopped chocolate and set it over the larger pot, making sure that the water does not spill into the chocolate. Otherwise, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave too, chopping it and placing it into a glass bowl, turning the power at 30% and heat in short intervals, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add wine to the melted chocolate slowly, about half a cup, stirring until you have a smooth, fluid cream (avoid making it too thin).
- Place one pear on a plate, garnish it with the melted chocolate and enjoy your elegant red wine poached pears!
If you want to complete your fall menu, consider pairing this dessert with this cozy vegan mushroom pasta.
Are you looking for other vegetarian recipes? I got you!
Recipe Card
Red Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4 pears
- 3 cups red wine (one 750 ml bottle)
- ½ cup white sugar (100 gr)
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 strips of orange zest
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate (100 gr)
Instructions
- Pour the wine in a pot and add the spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves), the orange zest and the sugar. Warm it up a little and mix.
- Once the sugar is melted, add the pears and bring to a boil. Set the heat on low, and let them cook for 20 minutes, turning them halfway through.
- After 20 minutes turn the heat off and let the pears rest for 1 hour.
- Once the hour has passed, melt some chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave.
- Slowly add about half a cup of wine to the melted chocolate, to obtain a fluid cream, not too thin.
- Place one pear on a plate, garnish it with the melted chocolate and enjoy your red wine poached pears!
May I tempt you? Here you can find other Italian classics!
FAQs
What if I don’t want to use chocolate for this dessert?
If you feel lazy or you don’t have time to melt the chocolate, whipped cream or some vanilla ice cream will do the job perfectly.
What if I don’t want to use wine to cook the pears?
Maybe you are avoiding alcohol or have kids among your guests? That’s fine you can poach the pears in tea or apple juice.
Did I forget something? Don’t be shy and ask in the comments!
