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Pears Poached in Passito with Mugolio Cream
Their gentle sway, the round bottom that nestles in my hand, the succulent flesh of a perfectly ripe Comice – I love pears. Succulent and sexy, whether roasted in cream and sugar, baked into a tart or cake, transformed on the stove top into Pear Vanilla Butter, or eaten out of hand, pears are one of the gustatory delights of Winter.
I have a vivid recollection of my first taste of poached pears. Bosc pears, firm and tall with their stems intact, had been peeled and gently poached in sweetened, spiced Port wine. Their flesh yielding to a paring knife, the hostess lifted them from the garnet liquid and placed them in a pool of thick Creme Anglaise. She increased the flame under the poaching liquid and reduced it to a syrup. She dotted the Creme Anglaise with the syrup and deftly ran a paring knife through the dots, connecting them in an elephant walk chain made of linked hearts. A beautiful dessert took shape before my eyes, and I was transfixed. It changed the way I thought about food, and certainly how I thought about pears. It was one of those moments one never forgets, and although the word may be overused, it was a revelation.
How to Poach a Pear – Pere martine al Toscano Rosso
How to Poach Pears in Red Wine
If peaches are the Queen of Summer fruit, then surely pears reign in Winter. Poached Pears, served whole, halved or sliced, delight family and guests. Bart walked into the kitchen the other night, and I shooed him out saying I had a surprise dessert for him. (By the way, that is a really good way to get people out of the kitchen – works better than anything else I have tried.) I poured Creme Anglaise on a plate, placed a jewel of a poached pear in the center, decorated it with some poaching syrup, and presented it to Bart. His face lit up. This one is a winner.
Poached pears are especially welcome now as we look for lighter desserts. Bosc and D’Anjou are the pears most often recommended for poaching, but Bartletts, red d’Anjou and Comice are my favorites. Select firm, unblemished and slightly under ripe fruit. Pay special attention to the stems of the fruit you buy; look for nicely formed ones, and be certain they are firmly attached. Read the remainder of this entry »