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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Pears Poached in Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce with Mascarpone Whipped Cream



Photo by Marcus Nillson of Real Simple.


The super-talented "Roving Gourmet" chef, Michelle Bailey, shared her fantastic recipe for poached pears with me. The measurements are not real precise; the key is to have enough wine to cover the pears.


Poached Pears with Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

   1.  Peel pears, leaving the stems intact. Bosc pears are best.
  1. Place pears in a sauce pan and cover with cabernet sauvignon wine.  For one bottle of wine, you can usually cover about three medium pears at a time. The wine does not need to be extravagantly expensive.
  1. Simmer the pears until they are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes depending upon the firmness of the pears.
  1. Remove the pears from the wine by using the stem as a handle so that you don’t bruise the flesh.
  1. Using the same wine, repeat steps 2-4 until you’ve poached all the pears .
  1. Add sugar to taste, around ¼ cup if you don't like it too sweet.
  1. Add vanilla (1/2 split bean or 1/2 teaspoon extract) and a cinnamon stick.
  1. Put pears back into the seasoned wine for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors. You may be tempted to add the sugar at the beginning to save a step, but it will not taste good.
  1. Carefully remove pears by the stem again.
  1. Cook wine until it is reduced and slightly thickened into a syrupy consistency - to around a cup or two.
  1. If you don’t have a lot of time or don’t need as much sauce, only use half the wine and reduce to about one cup.
  1. Should be syrupy when cold. If too syrupy, reheat until it is the desired consistency. Serve with sauce and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

  1. For a chunky consistency:
    1. Whip heavy cream with honey and vanilla.
    2. Add equal part mascarpone cheese.
    3. Whip together.
    4. Created a chunky texture. I personally loved the bursts of mascarpone.
  1. For a smooth texture
    1. Whip heavy cream with honey and vanilla.
    2. Whip equal part mascarpone cheese.
    3. Whip together. Should create a homogenous, smooth texture.

Thank you, Michelle, it was super duper delicious! A perfect ending for our autumn dinner.


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    6 comments:

    1. RuthSunday, November 8, 2009 at 12:27:00 PM PST

      Holy cow, that looks and sounds divine.

      The photo is gorgeous, and I like you in your new black dress!

      How did the poem go?

      ReplyDelete
    2. A Cuban In LondonMonday, November 9, 2009 at 1:12:00 AM PST

      This is one of those recipes that makes wish I wasn't teetotal :-). I love pears, juicy, fat ones. Many thanks.

      Greetings from London.

      ReplyDelete
    3. DutchbabyMonday, November 9, 2009 at 12:38:00 PM PST

      Dear Ruth,
      All eight of us loved this relatively-guilt-free dessert. The sauce is so delicious, it was hard to resist the temptation to lick the plate :-)

      Dear Cuban,
      That's a cryin' shame. Does it help if I tell you that all the alcohol is burned off from all that cooking?

      ReplyDelete
    4. DutchbabyMonday, November 9, 2009 at 12:40:00 PM PST

      Dear Ruth,

      Sorry I moved on before I was through answering your question. The poetry dinner was fantastic. Thanks so much for your contribution!

      Thanks for commenting on my new look. I haven't finished deciding if this is my final look. I'll keep it at least through the holidays.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Relyn LawsonMonday, November 9, 2009 at 7:41:00 PM PST

      Such a beautiful image. When I read this post, I could taste again that amazing salad I enjoyed at the museum with you. I could see all the beauty around me. And, most of all, I could hear your laugh. I miss you.

      ReplyDelete
    6. DutchbabyMonday, November 16, 2009 at 5:10:00 PM PST

      Dear Relyn,
      O gosh, now you've done it. I loved that afternoon at the museum. How you enjoyed the upper galleries with the "Lady in Black with the Spanish Scarf". Come back!

      ReplyDelete