Poached pears in red wine is a classic Spanish dessert that never disappoints! The beautiful fruity floral flavors of pears are perfectly enhanced by their simmering in red wine and spices, and is a simple yet showstopping dessert.
If you're looking for more Spanish desserts, you'll definitely want to try these recipes for apricot and cherry crisp and pumpkin flan.
Introduction
There's something unbeatable about the subtle, floral sweetness of a fresh pear. They're great by themselves, but really shine when poached to perfection in spiced red wine. The wine helps enhance the fruitiness of the fruit, and the spices give off an enchanting aroma. Plus, the gorgeous red hues that the pears take on makes them an attention-grabbing dish at any table!
This dish has its roots in the cuisine of the Burgundy region of France, and makes a great warming dessert for cool nights, or a fantastic sweet breakfast. While the French version is classically delicious, I've added my own Spanish touch to the dish with a splash of sherry and some distinctly Moorish spices!
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make these red wine poached pears for yourself? Fortunately, it takes only a handful of spices and a few other simple ingredients. Let's chat about the key ingredients!
- Red Wine: A fruity red wine will go the best with the pears. I recommend a Spanish grenache (garnacha), syrah, or tempranillo.
- Sweet Sherry: I used Pedro Ximenez sherry, which is very dark and sweet. If you can't find Pedro Zimenez, substitute with another sweet sherry.
- Pears: Choose either Bosc or Anjou pears that are still quite firm. Soft, ripe ones will turn mushy as they poach.
- Spices: A delightful mixture of Moorish-inspired spices add a wonderful depth of flavor to the finished dish. I chose a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and star anise.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Poached Pears in Red Wine
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Pour the wine, sherry, sugar, lemon juice, and spices into a pot, place over medium-high heat, and stir to dissolve the sugar. (image 1)
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. (image 2)
- Quickly peel the pears and add them to the poaching liquid. (image 3)
- Gently simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the pears are fork tender. Turn the pears every 5 minutes so they cook evenly. (image 4)
- Remove the pears from the poaching liquid, turn up the heat, and simmer it until it has reduced and thickened into a syrup. (image 5)
- Serve the poached pears with the wine sauce, fresh mint, and vanilla ice cream and enjoy! (image 6)
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it's recommended to peel pears before poaching them. That way, the pears can absorb some of the poaching liquid and the flavors from the spices.
It's best to use a firm, hard type of pear, such as Bosc or Anjou, when poaching them. These types are less likely to turn mushy or fall apart when cooking them.
Poaching pears Spanish-style means you'll be cooking it in a mixture of a fruity red wine and sweet sherry, and Moorish inspired spices (cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom pods, and star anise). All of this perfectly accompanies the pears and brings out their flavors!
Choose pears that are still quite firm, not soft, or they may fall apart or become mushy during the poaching process. Poaching is the perfect cooking technique to make hard pears appetizing!
Serve
Poached pears taste wonderful drizzled with the red wine syrup, but I also love to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an extra treat. You can also try serving it with pouring custard (English-style) for another twist.
Expert Tips
- A fruity red wine works best with the flavor of the pear, so I opted for a fresh Spanish grenache (garnacha) or a more fruit-forward syrah or tempranillo.
- Top the dish with fresh whipped cream and vanilla ice cream for a special presentation!
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Poached Pears in Red Wine
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- ½ cup Pedro Ximenez sweet sherry
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole green cardamom pods
- 4 whole star anise pieces
- 4 large pears either Bosc or Anjou
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves for serving
Instructions
- Pour the wine, sherry, lemon juice, sugar, and spices into a large saucepan that's deep enough to allow the pears to be submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar, then turn the heat down to a simmer.
- When the sugar is dissolved and the wine is simmering, peel the pears. The fruit will discolor quickly, so peel them only when you're ready!
- Gently submerge the peeled pears in the wine mix, and poach for 20-25 minutes or until tender enough to be poked through with a fork. Turn the pears every 5 minutes to help them poach evenly.
- Keeping the pears upright, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the pears to cool in the wine. Once they're cool, remove the pears and sit them on a plate or wire rack.
- Return the wine mixture to the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and has formed a syrup. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out with a little water.
- To serve the pears, place each one upright on a plate and drizzle with a spoonful of the syrup. Garnish with some fresh, torn mint leaves and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
What is the cream these are shown sitting in?
The picture shows them sitting in a cream that does not appear to be drizzled on top. What is this?!?!?! I must know! 🙂
Lauren Aloise
A creme Anglaise! Not part of the recipe but very delicious and easy to make -- here is a link: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/creme-anglaise-4984