Makes: 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes
Poached pears make a dramatically beautiful dessert, especially when you use red wine (see the variation). Your fruit doesn’t need to be perfectly ripe for this to be a good dessert; adjust the sugar level accordingly. When halved or quartered, poached pears are also a great filling for tarts like the Red Wine–Poached Pear Galette.
1. Combine the sugar and vanilla with 5 cups water in a medium saucepan (large enough to accommodate the pears) over high heat and bring to a boil. Peel the pears, leaving their stems on. Core them by digging into the blossom end with a melon baller, spoon, or paring knife.
2. Lower the pears into the boiling sugar water and adjust the heat so that it simmers gently. Cook, turning the pears every 5 minutes or so, until they meet little resistance when prodded with a thin-bladed knife, usually from 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the liquid.
3. Transfer the pears to serving plates. (At this point you may cover and refrigerate the pears in their poaching liquid for up to a day; bring to room temperature before serving.) Reduce the poaching liquid to a cup or less (this can also be stored for a day), then spoon a little over each pear before serving.
RED WINE–POACHED PEARS The best: Use 1½ cups water, 1½ cups red wine, ¾ cup sugar, one 3-inch cinnamon stick, and 1 lemon, sliced, for the poaching liquid.
POACHED APPLES A nice alternative, and unexpected: Substitute apples for the pears and swap in a cinnamon stick for the vanilla bean.
POACHED PEARS IN GINGER SYRUP The spice is warm and lovely here: Omit the sugar and replace 2 cups of the poaching water with ginger-infused Simple Syrup strain the simple syrup before poaching).
POACHED PEARS WITH ASIAN SPICES Exotic, but easy: Add 3 star anise, 5 slices fresh ginger, and 2 cloves to the poaching mix.