Poached Pear, a decadent dessert to serve for a holiday meal . Pear is simmered in wine and spice.It  gets a glossy shine and soaks in all the rich flavors.

If you are tired of chocolate or milk based desserts then why not go for the spiced one this time .One needs to love the fruit,wine and spice combination to  appreciate and relish it.If u fall in love then it is a  perfect spiced dessert to finish off  a  a big feast  .The inside of the fruit still retains the original color while the exterior is ruby red ,shiny and supple.
Wine is optional, pinkish color can be attained from the rest of the ingredients.Or it  can be substituted with cranberry or pomegranate  juice but the sweetness should be adjusted accordingly. I would not recommend boiling store bought juices for long time though .

Ingredients

Bosc pear-3 -4
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice- 1/2 of 1 whole
Beetroot – 1/2 of  1 whole (Cut into thin slices)
Pomegranate seeds- 1/2 cup
Red wine- 1 cup
Cinnamon- a small stick whole
Cardamom -2-3 pods whole
Cloves- 3-4 whole
Star anise – 1 whole
Peppercorn – 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method

1. Select firm pears with stalk intact.
2.Mix all the ingredients in a steel pot.Peel the pears carefully and cut the bottom of the pear slightly so they will stay upright when served.Immediately put the pear into the mixture so that it won’t turn brown.
3.Cook the pears in wine mixture by bringing it to boil then simmer it for another 15 minutes or the pear becomes tender .Insert the tip of a knife to the bottom of the pear to ensure it is cooked but should not become mushy.
If  the pear is not immersed in wine completely then rotate with a slotted spoon gently for even coloring without bruising it.
4 .If you feel the wine mixture has not thickened enough and the pear is cooked then remove pears and simmer the mixture till it thickens to a syrupy consistency.When it cools down return the pear to the mixture.
Serve the pears sliced with thickened wine mixture, ice cream,mascarpone cheese, fresh cream  and roasted nuts or some fresh pomegranate .

Note

• The poached pears can be made 2 days ahead  and refrigerated.
• It can be served warm on cold days.
• Use red wine for beautiful color.
• Beetroot and pomegranate gives pear the rich deep color.Once the pear has got the required color u are looking for u can remove and discard the beetroot from the mixture.
• Ginger ,orange rind ,vanilla bean ,lemon flavored etc are other options.
• If u don’t want the spices to float around then tie in a small piece of muslin cloth  and drop in the mixture and remove once cooking is  done.

Back to pears,it can be served warm on cold days and chilled on hot days.Let me know ur thoughts on this versatile dessert.

Meena

This recipe is linked to Tomato Blues and Tickling Palates