Pears Poached in Red Wine with Spices

Ingredients:

• 4 Pears, peeled and cored
• 1 Bottle of red wine
• 1 Cup of sugar
• 1 Orange, sliced
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 3 Star anise

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine red wine, sugar, orange slices, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring it to boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to simmer and add the peeled and cored pears gently into the saucepan. Make sure that the pears are submerged in the wine mixture.
3. Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, occasionally turning the pears, until they are cooked through and soft, but still holding their shape.
4. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the pears cool in the liquid until they reach room temperature, or leave them to cool overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Once cooled, remove the pears from the liquid and set aside. Strain the spiced wine through a fine-mesh sieve to discard solids and reserve the liquid.
6. Return the spiced wine to a clean saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce the liquid to a thick syrupy consistency. This can take up to 15-20 minutes.
7. Once thickened, remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
8. Arrange the poached pears attractively in a dessert bowl or on individual plates. Spoon the thickened wine syrup over the pears.
9. Enjoy the delicious poached pears with the spiced wine syrup as is, or serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

Verdict:

These pears poached in red wine with spices are so delicious and elegant, making them a perfect dessert for any dinner party occasion. The combination of red wine, cinnamon, and star anise adds a festive touch to an already beautiful dish. The syrupy red wine sauce enhances the richness of the pears, giving a decadent touch to the overall flavour.

Serving Suggestions:

• For an extra indulgent dessert, serve the poached pears with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• You could opt to sprinkle chopped nuts such as walnuts, pistachios or almonds for some crunch and added texture.
• To add an extra color and flavor to the dish, garnish it with some fresh mint leaves
• Pears poached in red wine are ideally served chilled.
• They could be served as an accompaniment to a cheese board, in which case, it may not require the additional syrup.