Festive poached pears
A striking red dessert that will impress your guests
Ingredients
Serves: 6
Prepare: 25 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 25 minutes
- 1 x 750ml Chilean Pinot Noir
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 50g fresh root ginger, sliced
- 1 lemon, zest & half the juice
- ¼ nutmeg, finely grated
- 6 firm pears
- double cream, to serve
Method
- Add the wine, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon zest & lemon juice to a deep medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Meanwhile, peel the pears & use a paring knife to cut out the core from each base. Leave the stalk-end & natural shape of each pear intact.
- Add the pears to the wine, making sure they’re covered, add a little water if needed. Cover with a circle of baking parchment & simmer briskly, turning the pears occasionally, until they turn a deep red colour & are very soft in the centre, this will take approximately 1 hour.
- Carefully transfer the pears to a deep bowl & set aside.
- Quickly bring the red wine syrup to a boil with a high heat until reduced by two-thirds - approximately 15-20 minutes. Strain the syrup over the pears & serve immediately, topped with cream. You can also cool & chill the pears in the syrup for up to 2 days then serve either chilled or reheat gently, as desired.