Comice Pears In Spicy Red Wine Recipes

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine wine, sugar, orange juice, zest, cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. While liquid is simmering, peel pears, leaving stem intact and being careful not to blemish the flesh of the pears. Slice 1/2-inch off the bottom of the pears to create a flat bottom. Gently place pears in poaching liquid, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even color, until pears are cooked but still firm. Remove saucepan from flame, uncover and cool with pears upright in pan. Once cool, cover and chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally, if desired. Gently remove pears from liquid and allow to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, reduce liquid by about half over a medium-high flame for 15 minutes, until liquid is thicker and slightly syrupy. Remove from flame and let liquid come to room temperature. Drizzle each pear with 2 tablespoons syrup and serve.

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

Steps:

• Halve the lemon, and remove 3 wide strips of rind. Peel the pears, leaving a topknot of skin and the stem, if it's attached; rub with the cut lemon. Working from the bottom, core the pears.
• Choose a pot that will hold the pears snugly. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit inside the pot. Cut 4 slices from the lemon and put them, the strips of zest and all the other ingredients - except the pears - into the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and add the pears, tops up - it's O.K. if they're not fully submerged. Cover with the paper circle and the pot's lid.
• Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes - the pears should still be slightly firm but easily pierced with the tip of a knife; transfer them to a bowl. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes, pour over the fruit and discard the spices. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature or chilled, with or without cream.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas
• Put all the ingredients except the pears and cream into a heatproof casserole with a close-fitting lid. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact, and add to the poaching liquid. Cover, and then put in the oven for 1½-2 hours depending on the ripeness and size of the pears. (If making ahead, leave to cool, then chill for 1-2 days.)
• To serve, remove the pears to a serving plate, place the casserole back on the heat, and reduce the liquid until it reaches a syrupy consistency,(you can add some arrowroot at this stage if desired). Strain it over the pears, which should now look glossy and red.
• Serve with the clotted cream or the orange zest flavoured Crème Fraiche.

Steps:

• Combine the wine, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon slices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to approximately 4 cups liquid. Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the pears but leave the stems on. Place the pears upright in a baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably. Bring the wine mixture to a boil again and pour it over the pears (it will not cover them completely). Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. The pears should darken to a rich mahogany color as they cook.
• When the pears are done (still firm but easily pierced with a fork), remove them from the oven. The liquid in the baking dish should be syr-upy. If it is not, transfer it to a saucepan and cook on the stove over a high heat until there are approximately 2 cups of syrup.
• Place the pears in compote or similar dishes and cover with syrup. The pears may be served with a ricotta cream sauce (see following recipe).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each pear so they sit up. Put the pears into a casserole dish and pour over the wine. Cut the butter into cubes and push a cube onto the top of each pear. Sprinkle over the sugar, scatter in the cinnamon and star anise. Cover with a lid or foil, then bake in the oven for 30 mins.
• Remove the pears from the oven, baste them well in their juices, then return to the oven, uncovered, for 40 mins, basting occasionally, until the pears are soft and wrinkled. The pears can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead and reheated in a low oven. Serve the pears warm with the juices and a spoonful of something creamy, such as mascarpone.

Steps:

• Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the pears top to bottom, leaving them whole, with stems attached and the core intact.
• Put the pears in a large, wide nonreactive pot (enameled or stainless steel) in one layer. Add the wine, sugar and spices. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted encounters no resistance. Remove from the heat and transfer the pears to a deep container, leaving the liquid in the pot.
• Heat the poaching liquid over high and boil down until it is reduced by half. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups syrup.) Pour syrup over pears, and refrigerate overnight if possible.
• To serve, put each pear in a soup plate and spoon over a little of the red wine syrup. Add a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of ice cream, and finish with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the nuts until fragrant, about 7 or 8 minutes, and chop them medium-fine. Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Add the chopped nuts and mix well - the topping should hold together when squeezed. (The topping can be prepared up to a week ahead and refrigerated.)
• Put the diced pears in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and taste; adjust if necessary. Sprinkle the flour over the pears and mix gently. Turn the mixture into an earthenware dish just large enough to hold the fruit, slightly mounded at the center. Spoon the topping over the pears, pressing down lightly. Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake on the center rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the topping is dark golden brown and the juices have thickened slightly. Serve warm with ice cream or Armagnac-flavored whipped cream.
• Variations: Other fruits may be substituted with the same general proportions, but some fruits require more or less sugar and flour, depending on their natural sweetness and juiciness. Rhubarb, for instance, requires more of both; apples require no flour at all.