Poached Pears
Pears can be used anywhere you would use apples; butters, chutneys and jams; pies (tarte Tatin), cakes and muffins; and on to many savoury applications. Pears pair particularly well with pork and a splash of the pear eau de vie, Poire Williams wouldn’t go amiss in the sauce. Here’s a riff on poached pears done in the oven, with thanks to Elizabeth Baird.
Ingredients
- 6 ripe but firm pears
- ¼ t. freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ t. lemon zest
- ½ c. sugar
- 1/3 c. white wine I like a Gewurztraminer
- 1 t. lemon juice
Instructions
- Peel and neatly core (think melon baller) pears.
- Place 6 halves in the bottom of a deep heatproof dish.
- Stir nutmeg and lemon zest into sugar.
- Sprinkle half the mixture over the pears.
- Add the other 6 halves and sprinkle them with the remaining half of the sugar mixture.
- Add white wine and lemon juice and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for about 2 hours at 325 F.
- Let cool, still covered, until room temperature, then chill well.
- Serve in clear glass coupes or bowls with custard or whipped cream.