Ingredients
- 2 large oranges, navel or cara cara oranges preferred for sweetness
- 6 ripe but firm small pears
- 2 cups red wine such as Pinot Noir
- ¼ cup (60g) honey
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar, or granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Directions
- Zest and juice one of the oranges and pour the juice in a medium bowl. Slice the remaining orange into ¼-inch rounds.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the pears, leaving them whole. Add the pears to the bowl with the orange juice and toss to coat (this will help prevent the pear from turning brown too quickly).
- Prepare a non-reactive pot that can fit all the pears snuggly (I used an enameled pot). Add the orange slices, red wine, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cardamom.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and add in the pears and orange juice (set the bowl aside). Cover and let simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally rotating them using a wooden spoon, until the pears have softened enough and a skewer inserted in the middle of a pear at the thickest part meets no resistance.
- Transfer the pears back to the bowl for now. Simmer the remaining liquid for a few minutes or until thickened.
- Allow the pears to sit upright in the poaching liquid until they have cooled enough to serve.
- Serve poached pears warm or cold with a little bit of the syrup drizzled on top, and some orange zest for garnish. You can also refrigerate them in the poaching liquid overnight to serve at a later time.
Notes:
- Pro tip: Wine poached pears are even better the next day once they’ve had a chance to absorb more of the flavor from the poaching liquid.
- Best pears to use: Opt for small, firm pears. Pears that are too large will take too long to cook, and overripe ones will become mushy.
- How to serve them: Place a pear on a plate and drizzle some of the syrupy cooking liquid over. For a little added richness, add a little whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, or creme fraiche on the side.