Today’s recipe for Red Wine Poached Pears is one of my favorites and a go-to when I want to serve a spectacular dessert, especially for holiday parties. Easy, delicious, and dynamic, it is a showstopper!
One of this country’s best cookbook authors is Alfred Portale, executive chef of Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City. This dessert is adapted from his Twelve Seasons Cookbook. There are some cookbook authors that write nearly perfect recipes, complete, easy to understand, and virtually foolproof. Portale is one of those for me. I have his cookbooks and I can make anything from them, confident that it will turn out exactly the way I want it to.
These pears are incredibly easy to make and yet they look like something that would be served at the post-Oscars bash. I was surprised at how clearly the flavor of the pears comes through the poaching liquid. I would have thought the delicate flavor would be overwhelmed, but it isn’t. The addition of the mascarpone is optional, but I think it adds just the right touch of creaminess.
The first time I made these I had an opened bottle of wine, and didn’t want to open another one, so I used what I had available and increased the orange juice to make up the total liquid needed in the recipe. You could also use apple juice or even cranberry juice instead of the wine. With cranberry you will want to increase the sugar slightly to offset the tartness. And if white wine is more to your liking, you could certainly use that too – a nice clean Sauvignon Blanc or a sweet Moscato would be wonderful.
This dessert doesn’t need to be limited to just the holidays. With their gorgeous ruby color, these would be perfect for Valentine’s Day too!
Many recipes for wine poached pears tell you to leave them whole and use a melon baller to scoop out the core and seeds from the bottom. You can use this technique if you like to, and it certainly makes a grand presentation when you stand the pears upright in some of the poaching liquid.
But I prefer serving them already cut in half lengthwise because they are more approachable and much easier for your guests to eat. Even though they are fork tender, serve them with a knife so everyone can cut bite-sized pieces easily. You don’t want the poaching liquid to splash on anyone’s clothing.
You can simply cut them in half or you can do fancier slices that look beautiful on the plate. Either way is fine and totally up to you.
After stews, braises, and other heavy winter dishes, this light dessert is delightful. Elegant, refreshing, and just sweet enough without being cloying, it is the perfect ending to any meal. And just think, it qualifies as one of your daily servings of fruit too, LOL! I hope you will enjoy these Red Wine Poached Pears as much as I do.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Red Wine Poached Pears:
- Red wine, fresh orange juice, orange zest, lemon zest, sugar
- Vanilla, cinnamon stick, star anise (optional), pears, mint sprigs
PRO Tip:
Poaching is simply cooking foods gently in a liquid bath, often water, milk, stock, or wine, until tender. Because it is especially effective for delicate foods, keeping the temperature at a low simmer is essential.
How to make Red Wine Poached Pears:
- In a saucepan, combine the wine, orange juice, zests, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick, and star anise, and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer; add the peeled pears (halved or whole) and poach for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through, until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife
- Gently lift the pears out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a 2-to-3-quart container; strain the poaching liquid, pouring it over the pears, then cover and refrigerate
- Let warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes before assembling and serving; place each pear in a shallow soup bowl or plate and top with some of the poaching liquid and pour it around them
- Garnish with mint sprigs if you like and serve immediately
- Optionally, you can make a sweetened mascarpone and use it to fill the center of the cored pear halves – very delicious!
PRO Tip:
Poach the pears and make the mascarpone a day ahead. Hold them separately in the refrigerator. Bring them out when you serve dinner and they will be at the perfect temperature when you are ready to serve dessert.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Citrus reamer
- Grater/zester
- Vegetable peeler
- Saucepan
- Paring knife
- Strainer
Gluten-Free Tips:
Wine is considered a gluten-free product, but there is a very small chance that someone may have a reaction to the caulk used in the wine barrels. If you are concerned, you can use apple or cranberry juice in place of the wine or look for wineries where they only use steel containers for aging their wines.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Red Wine Poached Pears (Gluten Free)
Elegant, refreshing, and just sweet enough without being cloying, it is the perfect ending to any meal. Red Wine Poached Pears is one of my favorites and a go-to when I want to serve a spectacular dessert, especially for holiday parties. Easy, delicious, and dynamic, it is a showstopper!
Ingredients
Poached Pears
- 3-3/4 cups (one 750-ml bottle) full-body red wine such as merlot, pinot noir, or cabernet sauvignon (use apple or cranberry juice for non-alcoholic)
- 1-1/2 cups (355ml) fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- 1-1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 cup (300g) sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 star anise, optional
- 2 firm Bartlett pears (Bosc or Anjou work nicely too), peeled and cored * see note
Optional Garnishes
- Extra cinnamon sticks and star anise
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the wine, orange juice, both zests, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Add the pears and poach for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking, until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
- Gently lift the pears from the pan with a slotted spoon and place carefully in a separate 2 or 3-quart (1.9 or 2.8 liter) container. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and pour it over the pears. Cover and refrigerate.
- These pears can be prepared a day in advance. Let sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before assembling and serving.
- Place each pear half in a shallow soup bowl or on a plate. Pour a little of the reserved poaching liquid around the pear. Garnish with mint leaves for a fun red and green color palette. Serve immediately.
- If you want, you can make a sweetened mascarpone filling by whisking together 1/2 cup (113g) mascarpone cheese with 1 tbsp powdered sugar, or to taste. You can use this to fill the cored halves or place a dollop alongside. Optional but very delicious!
* Note: If you prefer a more dramatic presentation, leave the pears whole and use a melon baller or a very small spoon to scoop out the core from the bottom of each pear. Take a thin slice off the bottom so that they stand straight without being wobbly.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Wine is considered a gluten-free product, and this dessert is gluten-free. But there is a very small chance that someone may have a reaction to the caulk from the wine barrels. If you are concerned, you can use apple or cranberry juice in place of the wine or look for wineries where they only use steel containers for aging their wines.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Dec 2011. The article was updated in 2022.
