What wine goes with poached pears?

A fruity wine like a Riesling or Moscato is a great choice. You can also use white wine or even red wine. I've used Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon before with great results.

Do you have to use alcohol?

No, you don't have to use alcohol, but it does help to add flavor. You can use apple cider, white grape juice, or even cranberry juice.

How do you store poached pears?

You can store them in the fridge for up to three days.

Red Wine Poached Pears

Ingredients

Scale

4 bosc pears (or similar firm pears), cored & peeled
1 750ml bottle red wine (see notes)
1 cup spiced apple cider
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 orange, juice and peel
1 lemon, juice & peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise

Garnish

Dairy-free vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Walnut pieces, toasted
Fresh rosemary, finely chopped

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Instructions

Add red wine, apple cider, cane sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon juice, lemon peel, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to a medium saucepan. Make sure that the saucepan is large enough to fit all of the pears, with enough wiggle room to baste the pears.
Bring the red wine and juice mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
While the sugar is dissolving peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, and core them from the bottom.
Once the sugar is dissolved reduce the heat to medium-low heat and add the pears to the saucepan. I like to add the pears by standing them straight up on their bottoms.
Add the lid to the pot and poach the pairs for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes baste the top and sides of the pairs with the red wine mixture and return the lid.
Repeat this process for 45 minutes or until the pears are soft, and a deep red color.
Once the pears are soft and beautifully colored, carefully remove them from the pot with tongs. Do not lift them by the stems.
Transfer the pears to your serve dish or bowls gently.
After you have removed the pears from the red wine mixture, turn the heat to high, and bring the red wine back to a boil.
Allow the wine to boil until it reduces to a glaze or syrup consistency.
Remove from heat.
Assemble the poached pears into bowls with toasted walnuts, a scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream, and a sprinkle of fresh rosemary.
Drizzle the wine glaze over top of the pears and ice cream.
Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Recommended red wine types: Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol or zero-alcohol red wine works well for this recipe.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 55