Red Wine, Ginger and Orange Poached Pears

Easy to prepare, these delicious pears poached in red wine make a lovely dessert for two on Valentine’s Day.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups Cavit Sweet Red Wine

3 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 piece ginger (about 1/2-inch piece), sliced thinly

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp honey

6 allspice berries

6 peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch ground cinnamon

2 ripe pears, peeled and cored with stem intact

1 cup vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. In small saucepan, combine Cavit Sweet Red wine, orange peel, orange juice, 1/2 cup water, ginger, sugar, lemon juice, honey, allspice, peppercorns, cloves, vanilla and cinnamon; bring to boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
2. Add pears to poaching liquid. If pears are not submerged, place round of parchment paper the same diameter as saucepan directly on top of pears. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer gently for 15 to 25 minutes or until tender. Using slotted spoon, remove pears from poaching liquid; let cool completely.
3. Return poaching liquid to boil; cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is reduced and syrupy. Strain and let cool completely.
4. Serve poached pears with some of the thickened poaching liquid and dollop of ice cream.

Tips

To remove the core from pears while keeping the stem intact, use a melon baller to scoop out the center of the pear from the bottom. Alternatively, peel, halve and core pears.

For an elegant presentation, garnish the plate with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Sprinkle freshly grated orange zest over top.

The poaching liquid is also delicious on french toast or pound cake. Or simply toss with fresh berries and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.