A new version of Pears in Red Wine from Nigel Slater. Cook the pears for as long as you dare so they are truly tender – a spoon should slide easily through the soft flesh.
Ingredients
- 750 ml red wine
- 3 star anise
- 1 vanilla pod
- ½ stick cinnamon
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 7 cardamom pods
- 3 pears firm
- 2 x 5cm strips orange peel
- 2 heaped tbsp shelled pistachios
- 200 g dark chocolate
Servings:
Instructions
- Pour the wine into a deep, non-reactive saucepan. Add the stars anise, cloves, vanilla pod, cinnamon and sugar.
- Crack open the cardamom pods with a heavy weight, such as a pestle or rolling pin, then drop them into the wine and bring it to a simmer.
- Peel the pears, keeping them whole, their stems attached to hold them by. Lower them into the saucepan, then adjust the heat so the liquid continues at a light simmer.
- Let the pears cook until they are just tender, checking their progress regularly with the point of a knife. The cooking time can be anything from 15-50 minutes depending on the ripeness of your fruit.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Scoop them gently from the cooking liquor with a large spoon, then set them aside in a bowl or shallow plate.
- Place the pan over a high heat and bring the cooking liquor to a bubble, then continue cooking until it has reduced to less than 500ml. Taste the syrup for sweetness, adding a little more sugar if you wish.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and leave to melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Finely chop the pistachios. Halve the pears lengthways and place them in shallow dishes.
- Pour over the red wine syrup and scatter with pistachios. Decant the chocolate into a small jug and pour a little over each pear at the table.
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