White Wine Poached Pears
Back to Recipes & MoreIngredients
- 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine (see Chef’s Tips)
- ¾ cup (163 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
- 5 pcs (10 g) lemon zest, wide strips
- 2 inches (12 g) fresh ginger, cut into slices
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise and seeds scraped (see Chef’s Tips)
- 4 firm pears (Bosc, Bartlett, or Anjou)
Equipment
Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
Parchment paper
Liquid measuring cup
Scale OR dry measuring cup
Heatproof spatula
Vegetable peeler
Melon baller
Skewer OR sharp paring knife
Dish
Fine mesh sieve
Heatproof bowl OR container
Instructions
Step 1
Using the medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan that will be used for poaching the pears as a guide, cut a round of parchment paper that will fit just inside the saucepan.
Step 2
In the medium saucepan, add white wine, the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, strips of lemon zest, sliced ginger, bay leaves, and the split vanilla bean and the scraped seeds into the wine (see Chef’s Tips). Place over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Step 3
Meanwhile, peel and core the pears. Using a vegetable peeler, peel them using long, even, continuous strokes from the stem to the base, as this will affect how they look once poached. Carefully slice the pears in half. Leave the stems attached. Using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds.
Step 4
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Add pears to the wine and place the round of parchment directly on top of the pears, gently pressing down. (Ensure pears are submerged in wine while simmering. Gently rolling pears over halfway through and spooning wine over the pears as they simmer may help, as will the parchment round on top of the pears.)
Step 5
Simmer pears for 20 to 25 minutes (see Chef’s Tips) or until a skewer inserted into pears meets little to no resistance. Take off the heat. Let pears cool in the white wine mixture, carefully rolling them over halfway through the cooling time; 30 minutes.
Step 6
Once cooled, carefully remove pears from the liquid, place them cut-side down into a dish, cover, and set aside in the fridge. Strain wine through a fine mesh sieve and pour wine back into the saucepan; discard solids.
Step 7
Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer wine until reduced by about half. Flavours will intensify, and the wine will slightly thicken; 20 minutes.
Step 1
Remove the pears from the fridge. Place a pear onto a serving dish. Spoon the warm white wine reduction over the pears. Serve immediately.
